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CENTENNIAL   HISTORY 

OF 

MISSOURI 

(THE  CENTER  STATE) 

One  Hundred  Years  in  the  Union 

i820'ig2i 


ILLUSTRATED 


VOLUME  III 


ST.  LOUIS— CHICAGO 

THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

1921 


\i\  t3  V^^ 


TO  NEW  YORK 
■PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


13 


JULIUS   S.  WALSH 


Biographical 


JULIUS  S.  WALSH. 


Julius  S.  Walsh,  long  a  leading  figure  in  financial  and  commercial  circles  of 
St.  Louis  and  recognized  as  one  of  America's  most  able  financiers,  was  born  Decem- 
ber 1,  1842,  in  the  city  which  is  still  his  place  of  residence.  He  is  a  son  of  Edward 
and  Isabella  (de  Mun)  Walsh,  the  former  of  Irish  extraction  and  the  latter  of 
French  lineage.  Edward  Walsh  emigrated  from  Ireland  to  the  United  States  in 
1815,  settling  first  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  whence  three  years  later  he  removed 
to  St.  Louis  and  here  organized  the  firm  of  J.  &  E.  Walsh,  with  which  he  was  con- 
tinuously identified  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1866. 

In  the  acquirement  of  his  education  Julius  S.  Walsh  attended  the  St.  Louis 
University  and  also  St.  Joseph's  College  at  Bardstown,  Kentucky,  from  which  institu- 
tion he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1861.  He  began  reading  law 
under  the  direction  of  the  Hon.  John  M.  Krum,  a  distinguished  attorney  of  St. 
Louis,  and  subsequently  entered  the  law  department  of  Columbia  College  of  New 
York  city,  winning  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  upon  his  graduation  in  1864.  St.  Louis 
University  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  in  186  5  and  about  four 
decades  later,  or  in  1904,  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  the  same 
institution.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  state  of  New  York  and  left  college 
with  the  intention  of  becoming  an  active  member  of  the  legal  profession,  but  the 
death  of  his  father  occurred  soon  afterward  and  his  time  and  energies  were  demanded 
in  other  directions.  He  had  been  his  father's  associate  in  business  for  two  years 
prior  to  his  demise  and  knew  more  intimately  than  anyone  else  the  nature  of  the 
operations  in  which  the  firm  had  been  engaged.  Accordingly  he  was  chosen  to 
settle  the  estate  and,  although  scarcely  twenty-four  years  of  age,  took  up  the  tasks 
in  connection  therewith  and  discharged  them  so  capably  that  he  won  the  favorable 
recognition  and  approval  of  prominent  financiers  of  the  city.  He  became  his  father's 
successor  on  the  directorate  of  various  large  corporations  and  in  his  opinions  con- 
cerning intricate  business  problems  displayed  a  thorough  knowledge  and  mastery 
of  the  situation,  with  a  keen  outlook  into  future  possibilities.  Thus  led  through  the 
force  of  circumstances  into  active  connection  with  business  enterprises  rather  than 
professional  life,  he  passed  on  to  positions  of  executive  control.  He  was  identified 
with  the  street  railway  lines  of  St.  Louis  from  1870  and  was  chosen  to  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Citizens'  Railway  Company  and  of  the  Fair  Grounds  &  Suburban 
Railway  Company,  while  a  few  years  later  he  became  the  president  of  the  Union  Rail- 
way Company,  the  People's  Railway  Company,  the  Tower  Grove  &  Lafayette  Railway 
Company,  and  the  Cass  Avenue  &  Fair  Grounds  Railway  Company.  He  also  pro- 
jected and  built  the  Northern  Central  Railway.  His  operations  were  continu- 
ally broadening  in  extent,  and  his  ability  to  plan  and  perform  made  his  cooperation 
sought  in  various  directions.  His  work  in  behalf  of  the  St.  Louis  Agricultural 
&  Mechanical  Association,  of  which  he  was  elected  president  in  1874,  is  particularly 
noteworthy.  Previous  to  that  year  the  fair  grounds  were  kept  closed  except 
one  week  each  year.  Mr.  Walsh  saw  the  opportunity  for  utilizing  them  in  many 
directions  and  during  the  four  years  when  he  occupied  the  chief  administrative 
office  of  the  association  the  grounds  were  beautified,  new  buildings  erected,  the 
zoological  gardens  established  and  various  other  improvements  made  that  con- 
verted the  grounds  into  one  of  the  favorite  places  of  amusement  and  recreation  for 
the  people  of  St.  Louis.  Recognizing  further  opportunities  iA  the  business  world, 
he  began  investigating  the  subject  of  making  improvements  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi  river  and  in  1875  was  elected  president  of  the  South  Pass  Jetty  Com- 
pany and  thus  served  until  the  improvement  was  completed,  giving  a  full  navigable 
depth  from  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  port  of  New  Orleans  for  the  largest 

5 


6  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

sea-going  vessels.  From  1875  until  1890  he  was  the  president  o£  the  St.  Louis  Bridge 
Company,  his  work  in  that  connection  proving  of  the  utmost  benefit  to  the  city  at 
large.  In  1882  he  was  elected  to  the  directorate  of  the  Third  National  Bank,  one 
of  the  strongest  moneyed  institutions  of  St.  Louis,  and  he  was  also  identified  as 
a  director  with  the  Laclede  National  Bank,  the  Merchants-Laclede  National  Bank, 
the  North  Missouri  Railroad  Company,  the  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City  &  Northern  Rail- 
road Company,  the  Wabash  &  Western  Railroad  Company,  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
Railroad  Company  and  the  Batlimore  &  Ohio  Southwestern  Railroad  Company,  while 
in  1888  he  was  chosen  chief  executive  officer  of  the  Municipal  Light  &  Power  Com- 
pany. In  1895  Mr.  Walsh  was  elected  vice  president  of  the  St.  Louis  Terminal 
Railroad  Association  and  the  following  year  was  chosen  to  the  presidency  of  an 
organization  controlling  the  terminal  privileges  of  twenty-two  lines  of  railroad 
centering  at  St.  Louis  and  later  became  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors,  which 
position  he  now  retains.  During  his  term  of  office  as  president,  he  brought  about 
the  unification  of  the  terminal  situation  at  St.  Louis.  In  1890  he  organized  the 
Mississippi  Valley  Trust  Company,  which  developed  under  his  guidance  until  it  is 
now  one  of  the  strongest  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  west.  He  was  first  president 
of  the  Trust  Company,  which  office  he  occupied  until  January,  1906,  when  he 
resigned  to  become  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors,  of  which  position  he  is  the 
present  incumbent.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Mississippi  Glass  Company,  and  a 
member  of  the  board  of  commissioners  of  Tower  Grove  Park.  Mr.  Walsh  was  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  Company  and  acted  as  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  agriculture  and  as  chairman  of  the  committee  on 
transportation.  Various  other  corporations  have  felt  the  stimulus  of  his  coopera- 
tion and  the  benefit  of  his  wise  counsel  and  discriminative  judgment.  The  power 
he  has  displayed  in  bringing  into  harmonious  working  order  varied  and  complex 
Interests,  his  inflexible  adherence  to  a  high  standard  of  commercial  ethics  and  his 
thorough  understanding  of  a  business  situation,  its  uses  and  abuses,  have  gained 
him  recognition  as  one  of  the  country's  "captains  of  industry." 

On  the  11th  of  January,  1870,  Mr.  Walsh  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Josie  Dickson,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Charles  K.  Dickson,  of  St.  Louis.  Their  chil- 
dren are  seven  in  numiier,  namely:  C.  K.  Dickson;  Julius  S.,  Jr.;  Robert  A.  B.; 
N.  S.  Chouteau;  Isabelle,  the  wife  of  Charles  L.  Palms;  Ellen  Humphreys,  who  is  the 
wife,  of  William  Maffitt;  and  Mary  Josephine,  who  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
Captain  John  S.  Bates.  That  Mr.  Walsh  is  appreciative  of  the  social  amenities  of 
life  is  indicated  in  his  membership  in  the  St.  Louis,  University,  Kinloch,  Noonday 
and  Country  Clubs  of  St.  Louis  and  the  Union  Club  of  New  York.  He  has,  moreover, 
served  as  vice  president  of  the  Mercantile  Library  Association  and  as  president  of 
the  St.  Louis  Association  of  the  Columbia    (New  York)    University  Alumni. 


WILLIAM    ROCKHILL   NELSON. 

Kansas  City  with  its  splendid  park  and  boulevard  system,  its  beautiful  homes,  its 
public  baths,  its  art  museum,  its  high  standards  of  civic  virtue  and  of  civic  pride,  is 
a  monument  to  the  life  of  William  Rockhill  Nelson,  for  in  all  these  things  and  many 
others  of  potent  worth  he  had  deep  concern  and  was  most  influential  in  bringing  about 
progress  along  these  lines.  Said  one  who  knew  him  well:  "In  his  view  nothing  was 
too  big,  nothing  too  good  for  Kansas  City."  To  the  world  he  became  known  as  the 
editor  of  the  Kansas  City  Star,  and  the  Star  was  recognized  as  the  exponent  and  the 
defender  of  all  that  has  to  do  with  the  uplift  of  the  individual,  the  community  and  the 
commonwealth. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  born  in  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  March  7,  1841.  For  three  cen- 
turies his  ancestors  had  lived  on  the  American  continent  and  his  forefathers  were 
among  the  builders  of  cities,  including  Harlem,  Brooklyn  and  Poughkeepsie,  New  York 
and  others  farther  west.  The  ancestral  line  was  also  represented  in  the  early 
colonial  Indian  wars  and  in  the  Revolution.  His  great-grandfather,  John  Nelson, 
fought  for  the  cause  of  independence  and  his  valor  and  loyalty  was  later  recognized 
in  the  gift  of  five  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Tompkins  county.  New  York.  John  Nelson's 
son,  Leonard  Nelson,  a  farmer,  wedded   Mary   De  Groff,  daughter  of   Moses  De  G;:off,  a 


WILLIAM  R.  NELSON 


THI  NIW  TORI 
fOBLlCLIIRARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  9 

representative  of  a  family  conspicuous  for  their  patriotic  service  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  period.  Isaac  De  Groff  Nelson,  son  of  Leonard  and  Mary  Nelson,  and 
father  of  William  Rockhill  Nelson,  was  born  in  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  and  in  1836 
removed  with  his  three  sisters  to  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana.  He  was  at  that  time  a  young 
man  of  twenty-six  years.  At  his  death  in  1891,  the  Times  of  South  Bend,  Indiana, 
spoke  of  him  as  a  "broad-gauged,  noble-hearted,  public-spirited  man  who  gave  prestige, 
stability  and  fame  to  the  Summit  City  and  to  Allen  county."  He  was  one  of  the 
commissioners  appointed  to  oversee  the  construction  of  the  statehouse  in  Indianapolis 
and  whose  frugal  management  led  to  the  construction  of  the  building  not  only  within 
the  amount  allotted  for  the  purpose  but  also  left  a  surplus  to  be  returned  to  the 
state  treasury.  Isaac  D.  Nelson  married  Elizabeth  Rockhill,  daughter  of  William 
Rockhill,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  who  in  1819  removed  to  Indiana  and  became  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  upbuilding  of  the  state,  being  one  of  its  first  representatives 
in  congress.  He  engaged  extensively  in  farming  and  was  probably  the  first  man  in 
the  world  to  plant  a  thousand  acres  of  corn.  Such  is  the  ancestry  from  which  William 
Rockhill  Nelson  sprang. 

The  boyhood  of  the  future  editor  of  the  Star,  as  he  himself  described  it,  was  a 
period  of  insurgency.  He  chafed  at  restraint  and  rule,  but  there  came  into  his  life 
certain  influences  which  turned  this  spirit  of  insurgency  into  a  fighting  force  for 
the  right.  He  would  never  succumb  to  the  domination  of  injustice  to  the  many  and  he 
did  not  hesitate  to  express  his  honest  convictions.  On  one  occasion  in  his  youth,  after 
participating  in  some  mischievous  prank,  he  was  called  before  his  father  and  on  being 
questioned  told  the  full  truth.  The  father's  response  was:  "Well,  thank  God,  you  are 
not  a  liar,  anyway."  He  then  told  the  son  to  come  to  him  when  in  trouble  and  he 
would  see  him  through.  The  incident  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the  mind  of  the 
youthful  culprit.  That  he  had  early  become  a  factor  of  force  in  his  home  community 
is  indicated  in  his  being  called  to  act  as  secretary  when  a  meeting  of  the  substantial 
business  men  of  his  town  was  held  to  draft  resolutions  opposing  secession.  As  a 
young  man  he  read  law.  Later  with  a  partner  he  engaged  in  growing  sea-island  cotton 
in  Georgia,  but  the  venture  proved  unsuccessful.  Returning  to  his  native  city  he 
took  up  contracting,  building  roads,  bridges  and  buildings.  In  this  connection  he  was 
instrumental  in  promoting  the  first  good-roads  law  passed  in  Indiana  and  forever 
afterward  was  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  good  roads  movement. 

From  young  manhood  Mr.  Nelson  was  deeply  interested  in  politics  and  his  great 
admiration  was  won  by  Samuel  J.  Tilden  through  the  latter's  courage  in  fighting  the 
Tweed  ring.  He  ever  regarded  him  as  one  of  America's  constructive  statesmen  and 
carried  as  a  guiding  factor  in  his  own  life  the  words  which  he  heard  Tilden  utter: 
"While  it  is  a  great  thing  to  lead  armies,  it  is  a  greater  thing  to  lead  the  minds  of 
men."  Throughout  his  life  the  pictures  of  Tilden,  Cleveland  and  Roosevelt  hung 
above  his  desk  as  those  of  three  great  constructive  leaders  in  American  citizenship. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  thirty-five  years  of  age  when  he  turned  to  what  really  became  his 
life  work.  With  his  cotton  growing  venture  in  Georgia  there  had  been  established  by 
himself  and  his  partner  a  store  which  the  latter  conducted  for  several  years  after  they 
ceased  attempting  to  raise  cotton.  Then  the  store  failed  and  in  its  failure  was  involved 
most  of  Mr.  Nelson's  fortune.  He  had  merely  enough  remaining  to  purchase  an  interest 
in  the  Fort  Wayne  Sentinel.  With  undaunted  enthusiasm  he  turned  to  the  work  Of 
editing  this  newspaper,  in  which  he  saw  an  instrument  that  promised  far  greater 
opportunity  for  achievement  than  the  field  of  politics.  After  a  year  or  two  he  sought 
still  greater  scope  for  his  efforts  in  this  direction  and  in  1880,  after  carefully  looking 
over  the  entire  western  field,  he  and  his  partner  in  the  Fort  Wayne  Sentinel,  Samuel  E. 
Morss,  established  the  Kansas  City  Evening  Star,  the  first  issue  appearing  September 
18,  1880.  A  year  later  he  became  sole  owner  and  from  that  time  put  forth  every  effort 
to  transform  "the  muddiest  city  in  the  country"  into  a  metropolis  of  beauty.  His 
financial  limitations  made  the  publication  of  the  paper  uphill  work  at  first,  but  he 
persevered  and  as  his  capital  increased  he  put  it  back  into  the  paper,  enlarging  and 
improving  it.  In  1882,  with  borrowed  money,  he  bought  The  Mail,  a  small  paper 
with  an  Associated  Press  franchise,  thus  acquiring  the  needed  telegraph  news  service. 
The  development  of  the  Star  was  indicated  in  the  removal  to  a  new  building  in  1889, 
with  the  installation  of  two  new  Potter  presses,  and  in  1894  the  growth  of  the  paper 
necessitated  still  larger  quarters,  which  were  secured  in  what  was  then  one  of  the 
finest  newspaper  buildings  in  the  country.  Another  removal  was  made  in  1911  and 
after  two  years  the  equipment  of  the  plant  was  increased  until  its  capacity  was 
four  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  sixteen-page  papers  an  hour — a  marvelous  growth 


10  CEXTENXIAL  lilSToRV  <JF  .MISSOURI 

from  the  little  six-column,  tour-page  sheet  originally  printed.  On  the  29th  of  April,  1894, 
the  first  Sunday  edition  of  the  Star  was  issued  and  on  the  18th  of  November,  1901,  the 
first  morning  edition  was  brought  forth,  following  the  purchase  of  the  Times.  The 
morning,  afternoon  and  Sunday  editions  of  the  paper  were  all  furnished  to  its  sub- 
scribers without  increase  of  the  price — ten  cents  per  week.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1890, 
Mr.  Nelson  brought  out  the  Weekly  Kansas  City  Star,  an  eight-p?ge  paper  for  farmers, 
at  a  subscription  price  of  twenty-flve  cents  per  year,  and  its  circulation  grew  so  rapidly 
that  ere  his  death  it  had  reached  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  being  sent  into 
every  state  of  the  Union  and  into  many  foreign  countries.  Mr.  Nelson  always  had  the 
encouragement  and  support  of  his  wife,  who  in  her  maidenhood  was  Ida  Houston,  a 
daughter  of  Robert  Houston  of  Champaign,  Illinois.  They  were  marriel  November  29, 
1881,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Laura,  now  the  wife  of  Irwin  R, 
Kirkwood  of  Kansas  City. 

Mr.  Nelson's  contribution  to  newspaper  pul)lication  included  three  distinct  and 
valuable  innovations:  the  supplying  of  seven  papers  to  subscri))ers  for  ten  cents  weekly, 
followed  by  a  morning  and  evening  edition  and  Sunday  paper  with  no  increase  of  price; 
and  the  publication  of  a  complete  farm  weekly  at  twenty-five  cents  per  year.  These 
prices  were  continued  until  mounting  costs,  during  the  war,  forced  an  increase.  That 
he  was  recognized  as  a  most  prominent  figure  in  newspaper  circles  is  indicated  in  the 
fact  that  he  was  chosen  vice  president  of  the  Associated  Press  in  1902-3  and  from  1905 
until  1914  was  a  me.iiber  of  its  board  of  directors.  His  newspaper  policy  was  expressed 
in  his  instruction  to  his  staff  and  employes:  "Always  keep  in  mind  the  family  that  is 
paying  us  ten  cents  a  week — and  particularly  its  women  members."  One  of  his 
biogi'aphers  said:  "Mr.  Nelson's  methods  in  the  conduct  of  the  Star  were  as  individual 
as  everything  else  he  did.  His  interest  extended  to  the  smallest  details.  But  particu- 
larly in  his  later  years  he  paid  little  attention  to  the  business  aspects  of  the  news- 
paper. His  attention  was  absorbed  in  editorial  duties.  .  .  .  He  almost  never  wrote 
anything  for  the  paper  with  his  own  hand.  He  was  too  busy  for  that.  But  the  day 
rarely  passed  when  he  did  not  outline  one  or  more  articles  of  some  sort.  Almost  always 
in  these  outlined  articles  there  would  be  striking  sentences  which  could  be  used  ver- 
batim. He  was  a  master  of  nervous,  epigrammatic  English.  .  .  .  One  of  his  axioms 
was  that  under  all  circumstances  the  Star  must  be  a  gentleman.  His  staff  knew  that 
he  would  not  sanction  the  publication  of  articles  reflecting  on  the  private  life  of  any 
person,  unless  a  court  proceeding  made  it  necessary.  ...  'I  don't  enjoy  traveling 
in  a  well-trodden  path.'  he  would  say.  'The  Star  should  pioneer.'  If  a  poem  by  Rudyard 
Kipling  or  a  story  by  S.  G.  Blythe  was  the  most  interesting  thing  that  had  come  into 
the  office  on  a  day,  his  instructions  were  to  'play  it  up'  on  the  first  page."  It  was  Mr. 
Nelson's  custom  to  speak  of  "the  Star  family"  and  he  had  the  keenest  personal  interest 
in  all  of  his  staff  of  assistants  and  employes.  His  biographer  has  said;  "It  took  more 
than  brilliancy,  more  than  the  mere  ability  to  write  well,  to  get  a  permanent  position 
on  the  Star.  A  man  had  to  be  the  right  sort,  in  character,  in  reliability,  as  well  as  in 
ability.  But  when  he  had  proved  his  wort'n.  and  had  been  taken  into  the  Star  family, 
Mr.  Nelson  was  his  loyal  friend  through  thick  and  thin,  and  nothing  could  happen,  no 
tongue  could  utter  flings  enough  to  shake  the  loyalty  of  Mr.  Nelson  to  the  men  he 
trusted  and  had  faith  in.  ,  .  .  The  men  who  worked  for  Mr.  Nelson  knew  on  all 
occasions  exactly  what  the  policy  of  the  Star  would  be  upon  any  question,  as  soon  as  it 
arose.  As  soon  as  a  man  was  mentioned  as  a  candidate  for  office  anyone  on  the  Star 
could  tell  you  whether  the  paper  would  oppose  him,  and  the  same  with  political  move- 
ments, and  civic  movements  of  all  kinds.  Were  they  on  the  square  for  the  public 
good?  That  was  all.  If  they  weren't,  it  was  all  settled  beforehand  that  they  could  never 
have  the  support  of  the  Star." 

Throughout  his  editorship  of  the  Star,  Mr.  Nelson  was  the  champion  of  progress  in 
Kansas  City.  He  worked  untiringly  to  promote  its  improvement  and  its  beauty.  He 
labored  indefatigably  for  reform.  He  was  vigorous  in  attacking  measures,  men  or  move- 
ments that  he  deemed  to  be  inimical  to  the  public  good.  When  for  three  months  he 
was  unable  to  leave  his  home  during  his  last  illness,  he_  continued  to  direct  the  editorial 
policy  of  his  paper  and  when  the  Star  was  promoting  a  campiign  to  raise  money  for  the 
Provident  Association  and  he  was  too  weak  to  sit  up,  he  had  the  telephone  held  to 
his  lips  as  he  lay  in  bed  and  dictated  a  sentiment  to  be  printed  across  the  top  of  the 
Sunday  morning  paper:  "On  this  His  day  the  Lord  asks  only  for  His  poor.  If  the  people 
of  Kansas  City  were  as  generous  to  the  Lord  as  the  Lord  has  been  gool  to  them,  there 
would  be  here  no  hunger,  no  poverty,  no  want." 

In  1902,  some  years  after  he  had  established  a  summer  home  in  the  east,  Mr.  Nel- 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  11 

son  built  a  paper  mill  with  capacity  sufficient  to  supply  all  the  white  paper  used  in 
issuing  The  Daily  and  Weekly  Star  and  continued   the  operation  of  the  mill  until  the  _ 
market  conditions   for   ground   wood   pulp,   used   in   paper   manufacture,    would   have 
necessitated  the  building  of  his  own  pulp  mill  in  Canada;   but  he  felt  that  this  venture 
would  have  added  too  great  a  burden  to  him  in  his  advancing  age. 

One  of  his  first  interests  in  Kansas  City  was  to  create  a  public  spirit  and  a  com- 
munity feeling,  and  he  started  out  to  create  public  opinion  in  favor  of  street  paving. 
When  he  advocated  a  cause  he  kept  it  constantly  before  the  people  in  editorials,  in  news 
write-ups,  in  quotations  from  men  who  were  authority  upon  the  subject,  in  cartoons  and 
in  every  possible  way  until  public  opinion  was  with  him.  In  this  connection  it  has 
been  said:  "Street-paving  was  the  first  public  improvement  he  advocated,  and  he 
dealt  not  in  generalities,  but  in  facts  and  figures,  and  modern  instances  and  ancient. 
His  first  triumph  as  a  defender  of  the  faith  was  in  preventing  the  gift  of  the  city's 
streets  to  a  transportation  company  that  had  demonstrated  its  unwillingness  to  fur- 
adequate  street-car  service.  The  greatest  municipal  achievement  in  which  Mr.  Nelson 
aided  (the  parks)  is  inseparable  from  the  interlacing  and  interlinking  system  of 
parkways  and  boulevards — streets  of  superfine  quality,  demonstrating  by  the  manner 
of  their  construction  and  their  systematic  maintenance  what  intelligent  road-making 
might  mean."  In  connection  with  transportation  interests  he  evolved  the  slogan  "Navi- 
gate the  river"  and  advocated  water  transportation  as  a  preventive  measure  of  high 
freight  rates.  He  never  faltered  in  this  until  a  line  of  boats  and  barges  was  put  into 
operation,  connecting  Kansas  City  with  the  greater  waterways  of  the  country.  He  pro- 
moted the  campaign  that  resulted  in  the  building  of  a  six-million-dollar  Union  Station 
in  Kansas  City  and  the  development  of  a  terminal  system  sufficient  to  care  for  the  traffic 
of  the  growing  city,  involving  the  expenditure  of  about  fifty  million  dollars.  On  the 
19th  of  May,  1881,  he  began  a  fifteen-year  campaign  that  at  length  brought  to  Kansas 
City  one  of  the  finest  park  and  boulevard  systems  on  the  face  of  the  globe,  and  in  con- 
nection with  the  boulevards  he  promoted  the  tree  planting  which  has  constituted  one 
of  the  greatest  features  of  beauty  in  Kansas  City.  High  ideals  of  citizenship  which  he 
entertained  made  Mr.  Nelson  a  dominant  force  for  good  government.  Kansas  City  was 
at  one  time  notorious  for  its  gang  rule  and  its  election  frauds.  These  reached  a  climax 
in  1894,  but  the  Star's  work  in  denouncing  and  exposing  election  crooks  was  so  effective 
as  to  arouse  the  city  and  county  and  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  gang  ticket  at  the 
polls.  He  labored  untiringly  for  the  passing  of  better  election  laws  by  the  state  legisla- 
ture and  "his  fundamental  democracy  made  him  the  earnest  supporter  of  movements 
to  increase  the  control  of  the  people  over  their  government — the  direct  pirmary,  popu- 
lar election  of  senators,  the  initiative,  referendum,  and  recall  and  the  commission 
form  of  government."  Writing  of  Mr.  Nelson's  policy,  the  New  York  Evening  Post 
said:  "As  a  result  of  all  this,  the  hold  of  the  Kansas  City  Star  upon  its  community  was 
such  that  in  any  situation  that  arose  in  the  affairs  of  the  city — the  location  of  a  park, 
the  undertaking  of  public  works,  or  what  not — its  voice  was  always  potent  and  usually 
decisive.  This  does  not  by  any  means  imply  that  it  could  decide  elections.  It  carried 
no  'vote'  in  its  pocket.  That  is  impossible  for  a  truly  independent  paper:  such  a  paper 
must  always  be  ready  to  fight,  when  necessary,  for  the  side  that  is  almost  sure  to 
lose,  and  to  take  defeat  with  equanimity,  after  having  done  its  best  for  the  cause  it 
thinks  right.  This  is  what  happened  again  and  again  to  the  Kansas  City  Star,  but  its 
influence  and  standing  were  left  quite  unimpaired  by  the  adverse  count  of  noses." 

It  was  characteristic  of  Mr.  Nelson  that  he  never  allowed  one  defeat  to  discourage 
him  but  kept  on  with  his  work  though  it  might  take  years  until  the  reform  or  bene- 
ficial project  for  which  he  was  laboring  had  become  an  established  fact.  He  continued 
a  campaign  for  an  auditorium  in  Kansas  City  for  five  years;  his  campaign  for  viaducts 
and  highways  to  connect  the  two  Kansas  Citys  covered  several  years,  and  it  was  fre- 
quently his  habit  to  send  a  reporter  into  a  community  to  work  up  public  opinion.  He 
became  the  champion  of  municipal  ownership  of  street  railways  and  labored  untir- 
ingly to  secure  protection  from  floods  in  the  Missouri  and  Kaw  rivers,  for  the  lessen- 
ing of  the  smoke  nuisance,  the  installation  of  smoke  consumers,  the  abolition  of  railway 
grade  crossings,  the  suppression  of  unnecessary  noises,  the  support  of  the  annual  clean-up 
of  the  city,  the  improvement  of  alleys  and  back-yards,  the  encouragement  of  the  love 
of  birds,  the  planting  of  trees  and  the  suppression  of  insect  pests,  the  betterment  of 
public  school  conditions  and  in  fact  everything  that  had  to  do  with  the  city's  welfare 
and  progress.  He  did  more  than  almost  any  one  man  to  stimulate  agriculture  in  the 
vicinity  of  Kansas  City.  He  was  untiring  in  his  advocacy  of  the  workmen's  compensa- 
tion bill,  and  his  love  of  democracy  and  his  loyalty  to  the  rights  of  the  people  was 


^2  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

shown  by  his  constant  opposition  to  fraudulent  home  cooperative  comnaniP,   lntt.r,-.= 
policy  games,  loan  sharks,  fee-grabbers,  and  to  lawyers  and  to  doctm^  X  wp  ,    ' 

credit  to  the  profession.     He  became  so  convinced  of  the  evils  of  ^.  L  .J"  '^''" 

1905  he  decided  to  accept  no  more  liquor  adve  tisements  for  hi  ^^Z^'^T"  ^"'■''' 
the  reason  why  the  Star  so  strongly 'opposed  the  sXn  ^e  sa  :  "  C'wHl'^'nf 
me  one  man,  just  one,  that  whisky  has  ever  benefited,  I  will  give  up  my  fight  againsf 
t  and  they  can  have  the  whole  country  to  search  in  for  thft  one  m^n  >  WhT  his 
nterests  centered  m  Kansas  City,  he  was  continually  putting  forth  most  effecUve  effort 
in  the  championship  of  right  and  progress  throughout  the  southwest  and  indeed  in  aU 
sections  of  the  country.  It  was  seldom  that  he  did  not  have  a  crusade  on  hand  for 
the  beneht  Of  his  fellowmen.  Just  before  war  with  Spain  was  declared  he  sent  a  le 
porter  to  Cuba  to  investigate  the  reports  of  starvation  among  the  non-combatanti 
there  and  as  the  result  of  the  report  he  inaugurated  a  movement   for  relierthat^ed 

KansTs  Sty  Them  '""^  '^''"""'  "'  "^^  '""'"■"'  '°"^  °'  ^°-'  -^  clothing  from 
Kansas  City.    The  movement  was  warmly  commended  by  President  McKinlev.     Through 

the  columns  of  the  Star  he  advocated  the  separation  of  the  poor  and  the    nsane    who 

were  boused  together  in  most  miserable  quarters  in  Kansas  City,  and  though  it  .equh-ed 

Zf"^  ''"T  °  ^'■°"''  "'^  ''"'""^'  ''''  '^°""*y  Home.-commodious.  sanitary  and  com- 
fortable-stands  as  a  monument  to  his  humanity,  while  the  insane  of  the  "county  are 
now  cared   for  in  excellent  state   institutions.     Having  improved   poor-farm   conditions 

with^giSi^rresuits"™^' ""''  ^"'^'^"°"  ^°  '^^  ^^"'•'^  ^'^'-  -•  ^^'--"-^  -^''  ^--^ 

FundSnTRS^'A^'^T-r'^"  '°°^  ''''  '°''"^'  ^'"P  '"  establishing  The  Santa  Claus 
Fund  in  1886.  A  contribution  of  nine  hundred  and  thirty-five  dollars  and  ninety-five 
cents  was  secured.  To  this  he  added  two  hundred  and  fifty  pairs  of  shoes  Td  veir 
.J  fH""  'it'  ^"'^  °'  Christmas  distribution  was  carried  on  through  the  ^ircuiaUon 
staff  o  the  Star  until  it  became  too  big  for  the  paper  to  handle.  Every  organ iza  ion  ha" 
desired  to  raise  funds  for  public  purposes  sought  the  cooperation  of  the   S  ar    wS 

fhl  y"m    c\     t'heV'd  P  """^^  Settlement,  the  Boys'  Hotel,  the  Provident  Socilt'on 
tne  Y.  JM.  c.  A.,  the  Red  Cross  and  other  organizations 

In  politics  Mr.  Nelson  ever  maintained   an  independent  course.     He  believed   that 
po  itics  should  be  a  constructive  force  and  he  supported  those  men  who  s  ooi  t^r  con 

ftUuZ'^'"'''T""-    i""' J"'  "'  "°  "'"^  '^°"°^1  '^^  ^"y  P^'-ty  «««  and  his  indepencLnt 
attitude  was  shown  by  his  advocacy  of  Cleveland  for  president  and  at  the  same  tin?e 
his  support  of  Major  William  Warner,  the  republican  candidate  for  governor      Twelve 
years    later    he    championed    the    cause    of    Theodore    Roosevelt    for    president    anT  o^ 
Joseph  W   Polk,  democrat,  for  governor.     Feeling  that  the  progress"  e 'partv  was  taking 
a  forward   step  along  the  line  of  constructive  politics,  he  became  again  the  supporter 
of  Roosevelt  when  he  headed  that  ticket,  and  after  the  election  he  gave  just  as  vgoious 
support  to  the  progressive  policies  promoted  by  Woodrow  Wilson.     He  had  not  the 
slightest  desire    or  public  office,  and  though  he  knew  many  of  the  eminent  men  o'  the 
country,  he  would  never  ask  for  a  political  appointment  or  favor  for  any  of  his  friends 
Mr.  Nelson  s  private  charities  were  most  extensive,  but  he  never  spoke  of  these  if 
It    could    be    avoided.      There    were    almost    countless    recipients    who    benefited    by    hi. 
bounty    which  always  came  in  the  form  of  friendship  and  not  of  duty.     His  was  an 
intensely  religious  nature  and  yet  not  one  that  held  to  dogma  or  creed.     His  religion 
was   of   the   most    practical   character.     In    this    connection    one    long   associated    with 
him  said:     He  felt  that  he  could  best  show  devotion  to  God  by  doing  justly  and  loving 
mercy.     It   was   a   matter   of   religion   with   him    that   the    Star   should    fight    for   high 
Ideals   and   great   causes.     *     *     *     His   reverence   for   God   was   as   real   and   profound 
as   his   devotion   to   his   fellowmen.     In    those    rare    moods   when    he    could    talk    with 
his  associates  about  his  deepest  convictions  he  would  speak  of  his  faith  in  the  Power 
not  ourselves  that  makes  for  righteousness  and  of  his  own  sense  of  obligation      He 
was  serenely  confident  that   the  universe  was  the  expression  of  a  Righteous  Creator 
1     L'°     i*;-,!°     "^^  '''°""'   *""°'Pl^;    and  that  no  evil   could   befall   a  good   man   in 
death.        Wilham    Rockhill    Nelson    passed    from    this    life    April    13,    1915       According 
to  the  terms  of  his  will,  the  income  from  his  estate  was  to  go  to  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter   and  when  they  pass  on  his  fortune  goes  to  the  city,  the  income  to  be  devoted 
to  the  purchase  of  art  works.     His  agricultural  porperty,  Sni-a-Bar  farms,  comprising 
seventeen  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  is  to  be  conducted  as  a  model  farm  for  the  benefit 
of  the  public  for  several  years  and  then  to  be  sold  and  the  income  from  the  proceeds 
to  be  used  according  to  the  terms  of  his  will  for  art  purposes   in  Kansas  Citv      His 
wife  and   daughter,  as  executors  of  the  estate,  are   continuing  the   publication"  of   the 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI'  13 

Star,   carrying  out   the   spirit   of   its   founder.     After    their   death    the   Star,   too,    is    to 
be  sold   for  the  benefit  of  the  art  fund. 

An  editorial  in  the  Des  Moines  Capital  comments  upon  his  will  as  follows:  "Wil- 
liam R.  Nelson,  owner  and  editor  of  the  Kansas  City  Star,  in  making  arrangements 
for  the  final  disposition  of  his  estate,  turns  it  over  to  Kansas  City  for  an  art  gallery. 
The  income  from  his  property,  carefully  guarded,  will  go  to  the  wife  and  daughter 
during  their  lifetime.  After  that  it  will  pass  into  the  hands  of  a  board  of  trustees 
to  be  sold  and  the  proceeds  used  for  the  purchase  of  art  treasures  for  the  enjoyment 
of  the  people  of  Kansas  City.  We  look  upon  this  as  a  wise  bequest.  With  Colonel 
Nelson  art  was  not  merely  a  rich  man's  fad.  He  was  a  lover  of  the  beautiful.  He 
appreciated  its  refining  power.  He  knew  that  an  appreciation  of  art  is  a  matter 
of  education.  He  loved  Kansas  City,  the  arena  of  his  life  struggles  and  his  life 
triumphs,  and  in  his  desire  to  leave  a  perpetual  monument,  he  has  chosen  wisely.  In 
his  life  he  made  service  to  the  people  a  dominating  passion.  It  was  an  honest  desire 
to  benefit  the  masses  which  caused  him  to  provide  for  the  future  art  enjoyment 
of  the  city  which  he  loved — a  munificent  gift  which  will  make  the  name  of  William 
R.  Nelson  a  treasured  memory  for  generations  to  come."  Collier's  at  the  time  of 
his  death  said:  "Mr.  Nelson  was  much  more  than  merely  a  great  newspaper  man. 
He  was  one  of  the  dozen  important  personalities  of  his  time  in  America.  The  liberal 
and  progressive  movement  which  arose  in  the  middle  west  between  ten  and  twenty 
years  ago  and  came  to  dominate  the  political  and  social  forces  of  the  period,  centered 
largely  around  the  Kansas  City  Star  and  the  other  forces  of  public  opinion  which 
took  their  leadership  from  the  Star."  In  the  same  publication  William  Allen  White 
wrote:  "Mr.  Nelson  literally  gave  color  to  the  life  and  thought  and  aspirations 
of  ten  millions  of  people  living  between  the  Missouri  river  and  the  Rio  Grande  in 
the  formative  years  of  their  growth  as  commonwealths — part  of  the  national  com- 
monwealth. He  and  they  together  were  dreaming  states  and  building  them,  each 
reacting  upon  the  other.  The  aspirations  of  the  people  were  caught  by  his  sensitive 
brain,  and  he  gave  these  aspirations  back  in  the  Star  policies.  Kansas,  Western 
Missouri,  Oklahoma,  Northern  Texas,  New  Mexico,  and  Colorado  form  a  fairly  homo- 
geneous section  of  our  population.  That  section  has  grown  up  on  the  Star.  Its 
religion,  its  conceptions  of  art,  its  politics,  its  business,  its  economic  scale  of  living, 
reflect  the  influence  of  the  indomitable  mind  of  the  man  behind  the  Star,  just  as  he 
gathered  and  voiced  the  latent  visions  of  these  people  and  gave  them  conscious 
form."  Hundreds  of  papers  and  magazines  throughout  the  country  bore  testimony 
to  the  great  work  and  noble  character  of  Mr.  Nelson.  The  Outlook  said  he  "stood 
sincerely,  and  without  a  trace  of  cant,  for  public  welfare."  Harper's  Weekly  said: 
"Colonel  William  R.  Nelson  did  not  wait  for  others  to  set  fashions.  He  began  things 
himself.  For  more  than  thirty  years  he  made  the  Kansas  City  Star  a  force,  a  leader, 
a  help.  He  feared  nobody.  The  forces  and  trenches  of  money  and  society  found  him 
undismayed.  And  he  was  hard-headed  about  it.  His  specialty  was  not  hot  air. 
The  causes  for  which  he  contended  were  immediate,  concrete.  He  dealt  not  in  isms 
but  in  the  next  hard-fought  step  ahead.  He  never  faltered.  He  was  big,  strong 
and  sure.  The  Kansas  City  Star  has  been  the  most  powerful  journal  of  light  between 
the  Mississippi  and  the  Pacific,  and  Colonel  Nelson  was  the  Star."  The  directors 
of  the  Associated  Press  adopted  the  following  resolution:  "That  the  death  of  a 
private  citizen,  who  was  not  the  incumbent  of  a  public  oflnce  and  never  had  been, 
should  be  seriously  characterized  as  a  public  calamity  is  a  high  testimonial  of 
Individual  worth  and  a  conclusive  evidence  of  unusual  accomplishment  in  the  serious 
activities  of  life.  We,  who  enjoyed  the  intimacies  of  personal  association  with 
William  Rockhill  Nelson  during  the  nine  years  he  served  as  a  member  of  this  board, 
feel  that  there  is  no  exaggeration  of  phrase  in  speaking  of  his  passing  from  life 
as  a  public  loss  of  such  moment  that  it  may  be  deliberately  and  truthfully  said: 
'It  was  a  public  calamity.'  Sharing  in  an  exceptional  degree  the  feeling  of  distinct 
personal  bereavement  the  decease  of  a  friend  inevitably  occasions,  we  attest  not  only 
that  sentiment  in  this  formal  record,  but  our  sense  of  the  service  Colonel  Nelson  ren- 
dered to  his  profession,  to  the  city  and  state  in  which  he  lived  and  to  the  whole 
country  during  his  long  and  uccessful  career  as  an  editor  and  publisher.  We  had 
peculiar  opportunities  to  appraise  the  rugged  force  of  his  character,  the  unwaver- 
ing courage  with  which  he  adhered  to  personal  convictions  when  once  established. 
We  know  that  he  made  a  newspaper  that  was  big  enough  to  make  and  shape  the 
development  of  the  community  for  which  it  was  published,  that  it  was  an  exemplar 
of   the    best   and   highest    standards    of   journalism,   and    we    know    as    well    that    this 

• 


14  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

newspaper   was   in   every  characteristic   feature   merely   a   material    emhotiiment   of   the 
man  who  was  its  owner  and  director." 

President  Wilson  wired:  "The  whole  country  will  mourn  the  loss  of  a  great 
editor  and  citizen,"  while  Ex-President  Taft  spoke  of  him  as  "a  man  of  most  excep- 
tional ability,  great  power,  and  the  widest  influence,  which  he  exercised  with  un- 
daunted courage  for  the  right  as  he  saw  it."  The  message  from  Theodore  Roosevelt 
was:  "We  have  lost  literally  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  the  United  States,  one  of 
the  men  whom  our  republic  could  least  afford  to  spare."  E.  A.  Van  Valkenburg.  of 
the  Philadelphia  North  American,  said:  "His  death  is  a  national  calamity."  In  an 
ediotrial  the  Jackson  County  Examiner  said:  "Kansas  City  will  always  bear  the 
impress  of  the  thirty-four  years  in  the  life  of  William  R.  Nelson  as  a  citizen.  His 
work  was  one  of  service,  his  success  was  because  the  people  came  to  know  that  the 
man  and  his  paper  were  trying  to  reach  the  liest  things,  his  proof  of  success  the 
enmity  and  hate  of  so  many  men  upon  whose  selfish  purposes  he  trampled  and 
whose  iniquitous  plans  he  exposed."  The  Republican  of  Springfield,  Missouri,  summed 
up  his  great  life  work  in  the  words:  "The  Greater  Kansas  City  of  today  is  in  no 
slight  degree  the  monument  of  William  R.  Nelson.     He  was  indeed  a  mighty  man." 


WILLIAM    KEENEY    BIXBY. 

William  Keeney  Bixby,  retired  manufacturer  and  art  collector,  whose  deep  in- 
terest in  St.  Louis  and  her  advancement  along  cultural  lines  has  been  manifest  in 
his  many  generous  contributions  to  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  has  after  a  period  of 
substantial  successes  in  business  reached  a  point  where  leisure  enables  him  to 
gratify  his  taste  for  all  the  ennobling  influences  of  life. 

Mr.  Bixby  was  born  in  Adrian.  Michigan,  January  2,  1857.  a  son  of  Alonzo 
Foster  and  Emma  Louisa  (Keeney)  Bixby,  the  former  a  lawyer  by  profession.  The 
family  is  of  English  lineage,  founded  in  America  by  one  of  the  name  who  was  a 
native  of  Suffolk  county,  England,  and  on  crossing  the  Atlantic  became  a  resident 
of  Ipswich,   Massachusetts. 

Completing  a  high  school  course  at  Adrian.  Michigan,  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1873,  W'illiam  K.  Bixby  went  in  1874  to  New  Orleans  and  afterward  to  Texas 
where  he  served  as  station  baggage  master  at  Palestine.  He  was  subsequently 
made  train  baggage  master  and  later  became  substitute  railway  mail  agent  and 
then  station  baggage  master  at  Houston.  Further  advancement  brought  him  to  the 
position  of  general  baggage  agent  for  the  International  &  Great  Northern  Railroad 
at  Palestine  and  also  for  the  Texas  &  Pacific  Railroad  at  that  place.  For  a  time  he 
acted  as  general  baggage  agent  for  the  Texas  &  Pacific  and  the  International  & 
Great  Northern  Railroad  and  also  as  station  agent  at  Palestine,  whence  he  removed 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  has  since  maintained  his  home.  For  a  time  he 
was  stationary  agent  for  the  Missouri  Pacific,  and  the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  & 
Southern  Railway  at  St.  Louis  and  also  held  a  similar  position  with  the  Wabash. 
On  leaving  the  railroad  service  he  became  connected  with  the  Missouri  Car  & 
Foundry  Company,  originally  filling  the  position  of  lumber  agent,  while  subse- 
quently he  became  purchasing  agent  and  later  was  elected  the  secretary  of  the 
company.  From  that  point  he  advanced  to  the  vice  presidency  and  at  the  same 
time  was  made  general  manager.  At  length  he  became  the  first  president  of  the 
American  Car  &  Foundry  Company  and  afterward  chairman  of  the  board  and  so 
continued  until  his  retirement  from  active  business  in  1905,  having  through  suc- 
cessive stages  of  promotion  and  achievement  gained  a  place  of  distinction  in  busi- 
ness circles  and  a  measure  of  prosperity  that  now  enables  him  to  live  retired.  As 
the  years  passed  he  became  more  or  less  closely  associated  with  many  other  impor- 
tant business  concerns  both  in  St.  Louis  and  elsewhere.  He  was  chosen  to  the 
presidency  of  the  Laclede  Gas  Company,  also  of  the  Provident  Association,  the  Essex 
Investment  Company  and  the  Temple  Realty  Company.  He  became  a  director  of 
the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway,  of  the  St.  Louis  Union  Trust  Company,  of  which  he  was 
made  a  member  of  the  executive  committee,  of  the  First  National  Bank,  the  Wagner 
Electric  Manufacturing  Company,  the  Union  Sand  &  Material  Company,  the  Con- 
solidated Investment  Company,  and  also  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Lake  George, 
New  York.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the  receivers  of  the  Wabash  Railroad  Com- 
pany by  the  late  Judge  E.  B.  Adams. 


WILLIAM   K.   BIXBY 


TBI  SIW  TSM 

PUlUCLiBRART 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  17 

The  executive  force,  keen  discrimination  and  marked  business  ability  of  Mr. 
Bixby  were  also  sought  along  other  lines,  many  of  which  were  directly  of  a  public 
character.  He  became  the  vice  president  of  the  Washington  University  and  the 
vice  president  of  the  Missouri  Historical  Society  and  is  president  of  the  board  of 
control  of  the  City  Art  Museum.  All  those  things  which  are  of  interest  and  value 
to  his  fellow  men  have  awakened  his  interest  and  the  breadth  of  his  activities  is 
indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  was  one  of  the  national  incorporators  of  the  American 
Red  Cross,  is  a  member  of  the  Society  for  Study  and  Cure  of  Tuberculosis,  the  St. 
LuTve's  Hospital,  of  which  he  is  also  a  director,  the  Hospital  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Association,  the  Bolton  Improvement  Association  of  New  York,  the  St.  Louis 
Academy  of  Sciences,  the  Bibliophile  Society  of  Boston,  the  Artists'  Guild  of  St. 
Louis,  the  American  Historical  Preservation  Society,  the  American  Anthropological 
Association,  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  the  Society  of  Colonial  Wars,  the 
New  England  Society  of  St.  Louis,  the  Society  of  Iconophiles  of  New  York,  the 
Antiquarian  of  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  the  New  England  Historical  and  Genea- 
logical Society  of  Boston,  the  Society  for  Preservation  of  New  England  Antiquities 
of  Boston,  and  still  others  which  indicate  the  nature  and  breadth  of  his  interests 
and  his  deep  concern  in  all  those  things  which  promote  intellectual  progress  or 
which  have  their  root  in  broad  humanitarianism.  He  was  appointed  by  the  gov- 
ernor as  a  member  of  the  commission  for  the  decoration  of  the  state  capitol. 

Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Bixby  has  been  a  man  of  strongly  marked  lit- 
erary tastes  and  is  a  member  of  various  book  clubs,  including  the  Grolier  Club  of 
New  York  city,  the  Bibliophile  Society  of  Boston,  the  Caxton  Club  of  Chicago,  the 
Society  of  Dofobs  in  Chicago  and  the  Club  of  Odd  Volumes  of  Boston.  He  is 
president  of  the  Burns  Club  of  St.  Louis  and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  the  public  library.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Noonday,  Country,  Franklin 
and  the  Bogey  Golf  Club  of  St.  Louis,  the  Lake  George,  the  Saratoga  and  Glens  Falls 
Golf  Clubs  of  New  York  and  the  Middle  Bass  Club  of  Ohio,  and  in  many  of  these  he 
has  held  office. 

In  San  Antonio,  Texas,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1881,  Mr.  Bixby  was  married  to 
Miss  Lillian  Tuttle,  a  daughter  of  Sidney  and  Sarah  (Stewart)  Tuttle.  They  have 
become  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Sidney  T. ;  Emma  Stewart,  the  wife  of  Albert 
Hastings  Jordan;  William  Hoxie,  who  married  Stella  Fresh;  Harold  McMillan,  who 
wedded  Elizabeth  Wise  Case;  Ruth,  the  wife  of  I.  A.  Stevens;  Ralph  Foster;  and 
Donald  Church.  The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Congregational 
church  and  Mr.  Bixby  is  also  a  stanch  believer  in  the  principles  and  tenets  of 
Masonry,  in  which  be  has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree.  He  has  served  as 
senior  deacon  in  the  blue  lodge  and  as  a  high  priest  in  the  chapter.  His  political 
support  was  given  to  the  democratic  party  until  the  Bryan  campaign,  since  which 
time  he  has  voted  with  the  republican  party.  Since  leisure  has  permitted  he  has 
given  much  time  to  travel  and  he  and  his  wife  and  son,  Ralph  Bixby,  have  recently 
returned  from  an  extended  trip  to  the  Orient,  where  Mr.  Bixby  improved  his  oppor- 
tunity of  adding  to  his  own  private  collection  of  Oriental  art  and  securing  most 
interesting  art  treasures  of  this  character  for  the  City  Art  Museum  of  St.  Louis, 
thus  giving  to  his  fellow  townsmen  the  opportunity  to  study  the  art  development  of 
China  and  Japan.  It  has  always  been  his  desire  to  share  his  treasures  with  others 
as  proven  by  his  many  gifts  to  St.  Louis  institutions. 


DAVID  BRUNSWICK. 


David  Brunswick,  of  St.  Louis,  who  is  southwestern  manager  for  the  American  Win- 
dow Glass  Company,  has  throughout  his  entire  career  been  connected  with  the  glass  busi- 
ness. His  study  thereof  and  long  experience  have  well  qualified  him  for  the  responsibili- 
ties that  now  devolve  upon  him.  He  is  a  native  son  of  the  city  in  which  he  makes  his 
home,  his  birth  having  here  occurred  November  30,  1873.  His  father,  Julius  J.  Brunswick, 
came  to  America  in  1850  from  Langnau,  Switzerland,  and  for  a  half  century  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  the  hide  and  wool  business  in  St.  Louis.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war 
he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops  and  served  as  a  private  for  a  year. 

David  Brunswick  pursued  his  education  in  the  grammar  schools  of  St.  Louis  and  for 
a  year  was  a  high  school  pupil.  He  then  put  aside  his  textbooks  to  provide  for  his  own 
support  and  when  fifteen  years  of  age  became  connected  with  the  glass  business  as  a 

Vol.  Ill— 2 


18 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


col  ector  acting  >n  that  capacity  until  he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted  to  the  position  of  city  salesman.  The  same  year  he  was  sent  out  upon  the  road  as  a 
raveling  salesman  and  continued  to  act  in  that  capacity  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-six,  when  he  began  the  manufacture  of  mirrors,  to  which  he  devoted  the  succeed- 
ing two  years.     He  then  sold  his  busine.ss  to  the  Hadley-Dean  Glass  Company  and  acted 

LI  'r'T  ■'"^'\',f.^'".^'"'  ^  P^"°''  °^  '^''^^  ^^^''^-  He  next  became  local  sales  manager 
tor  the  American  Window  Glass  Company  and  since  has  been  promoted,  eventuallv  win- 
ning the  position  of  southwestern  manager,  in  which  capacity  he  continues  to  the  present 
time    most  capably  and  faithfully  discharging  the  duties  that  devolve  upon  him 

Notw^ithstanding  his  activities  in  business  Mr.  Brunswick  took  a  most  helpful  part 
m  promoting  Liberty  Loan  and  Red  Cross  drives  and  gave  much  time  to  war  work  In 
politics  he  IS  an  independent  republican,  for  while  he  usually  supports  the  part^  he 
does  not  teel  himself  bound  by  party  ties  and  does  not  hesitate  to  cast  his  ballot  as  his 
judgment  dictates  with  regard  to  the  best  interests  of  the  public  at  large     He  belongs  to 

I^:'Z^frl"^"f'':  •^'°-  '''•  ^-  ^-  ^  ^-  ^-  ^"^  ""^^  ^"-"«'  ^'-  thirty-second  Se  of 
the  Scottish  Rite,  having  taken  the  work  in  the  Lodge  of  Perfection,  Rose  CroTx  and 
Consistory,  ,n  1918.  He  belongs  to  the  City  Club,  also  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and 
o  he  Triple  A  Club,  and  is  keenly  interested  in  all  that  has  to  do  with  the  upbuTuHng 
and  welfare  ot  his  native  city.  uijuunujiig 


GEORGE   WARREN   BROWN. 

The  name  of  Brown  has  been  linked  with  the  great  shoemaking  industry  ot  St 
Loui^  since  its  inception.  It  was  the  broad  vision,  the  keen  sagacity  and  the  initia 
tive  ot  George  Warren  Brown  that  made  him  the  pioneer  in  the  shoe  manutactur  ng 
business  m  St.  Louis.  Opportunity  is  not  local-it  is  universal:  and  the  success  i^  he 
outcome  of  enterprise  adaptability,  progressive  spirit  and,  above  all,  unfaltering  ndustry 
An  analyzation  of  the  career  of  Mr.  Brown  shows  that  he  is  the  possessor  of  these 
qualities,  and  after  founding  the  first  shoe  manufacturing  enterprise  ot  St  Louis 
these  traits  constituted  the  basic  elements  of  the  upbuilding  of  a  business  of  large 
propor  ions,  of  which  he  remained  the  head  for  thirty-five  years  and  still  retains  his 
connection    therewith   as   chairman   of   the   bojrd. 

George  Warren  Brown  was  born  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Granville  New  York 
March  21  1853,  his  parents  being  David  and  Malinda  (Roblee)  Brown  The  ancestral 
me  on  the  paternal  side  has  been  traced  back  by  The  American  Genealogicarsoc  ety 
to  John  Browne,  a  shipbuilder  who  was  born  in  the  north  ot  England  May  •>  1584 
and  Who  joined  the  Pilgrims  at  a  very  early  day,  becoming  one  of  their  trusted  coun: 
selors  in  Holland.  He  c-,me  to  America  in  1635  and  was  soon  elected  one  of  the 
governors  assistants.  He  was  also  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  colonies  o?  New 
England  from  1644  to  1655  and  the  records  state  that  he  was  "a  man  of  talenT 
integrity  and  piety."  He  became  proprietor  of  large  landed  interests  at  Taunton 
Massachusetts,  and  with  Miles  Standish  under  appointment  of  the  general  court  fixed 
the  boundaries  of  that  town.  He  was  also  on  terms  of  friendship  wifh  Roger  WUIiams 
who  in  fact  was  a  distant  relative.  The  father  of  George  W.  Brown  was  a  thrifty 
farmer,  as  was  also  his  mother's  father,  Thomas  Roblee.  The  latter  was  'a  devout 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  as  was  Mrs.  David  Brown,  who  exerted  a  strong 
religious  influence  over  her  son  in  his  early  childhood.  He  was  but  seven  years  of 
age  when  he  joined  the  Band  ot  Hope,  thereby  agreeing  to  abstain  from  all  intoxi- 
cating liquors  as  a  beverage-an  incident  which  constituted  a  real  epoch  in  his  lite 
Another  intere.sting  incident  of  his  boyhood  was  that  of  being  entrusted  to  drive  a  horse 
and   buggy   to   conduct   two  soldiers   of  the   Civil   war   who   had    been    home   on   a   fur- 

•  f.  ''^■,  J^'"  ^°'"^  ^'-"^^  '°  '^^  ^'■""t-  "^  '^■■°^e  t*^^™  three  miles  over  the  hills 
.0  the  Middle  Granville  railway  station  in  the  evening  after  dark,  when  he  was  but 
ten  years  of  age. 

The  boyhood  years  of  George  Warren  Brown  were  like  those  of  most  farm  lads  who 
spend  their  summers  in  the  work  of  the  fields  and  attend  school  beginning  with  the 
fall  term  and  extending  through  the  winter  and  early  s/ring  months.  When  nineteen 
years  of  age  he  was  graduated  on  the  completion  of  a  course  in  the  Bryant  &  Stratton 
Business  College  at  Troy,  New  York.  His  entire  capital  in  starting  on  life's  highway 
and  the  only  money  that  came  to  him  from  his  home  was  made  on  the  farm    the  pro- 


GEORGE  Vv^ARREN  BROWN 


'"'"r^^'A'v 


ASTf 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  21 

ceeds  of  the  sale  of  a  young  horse,  of  which  he  had  become  the  owner  when  the  animal 
was  a  colt.  This  horse  brought  him  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars,  and  added 
to  this  he  had  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  about  two  hundred  bushels  of  potatoes 
which  he  had  raised  on  one  acre  of  ground,  during  one  of  his  last  summers  at  home. 
On  the  7th  of  April,  1873,  a  few  days  after  reaching  the  twentieth  anniversary  of  his 
birth,  he  severed  home  ties  by  bidding  adieu  to  his  father,  mother  and  three  sisters 
and  his  neighbors  of  that  locality  and  started  for  the  west,  hoping  to  find  a  business 
opening  which  would  afford  him  opportunity  for  success  in  life.  He  planned  to  go  to 
Missouri  or  Texas,  but  his  first  objective  was  St.  Louis,  the  gateway  to  either  state. 
His  elder  brother,  A.  D.  Brown,  had  the  previous  year  embarked  in  the  wholesale  shoe 
business  in  St.  Louis  in  connection  with  James  M.  Hamilton,  under  the  style  of  Hamilton- 
Brown  &  Company.  Upon  the  arrival  of  George  W.  Brown  in  St.  Louis,  April  10,  1873, 
his  brother  was  at  the  river  ferry  landing  to  give  him  a  cordial  welcome  and  an  invitation 
to  remain  with  him  a  few  days,  suggesting  that  he  look  around  St.  Louis  before  going 
to  Texas.  He  accepted  the  proffered  hospitality  and  a  few  days  later  his  brother 
secured  him  a  clerkship  with  a  retail  merchant  of  the  name  of  Shepard  at  Springfield, 
Missouri.  George  W.  Brown  had  about  decided  to  go  to  Springfield  and  accept  the 
position  when  Mr.  Hamilton  offered  him  the  position  of  shipping  clerk  with  the 
firm  of  Hamilton-Brown  &  Company  and  he  gladly  accepted,  entering  upon  his  duties 
May  1,  1873.  During  the  months  that  followed  Mr.  Brown  not  only  discharged  the 
duties  of  shipping  clerk  but  found  time  to  become  well  posted  on  every  line  of  shoes 
carried  by  the  house,  informing  himself  regarding  leather,  styles,  etc.,  so  that  within 
less  than  a  year  he  was  made  traveling  salesman,  starting  on  the  road  March  17,  1874. 
He  soon  gave  unmistakable  proof  of  his  worth  expressed  in  honesty,  good  habits,  hard 
work  and  salesmanship — a  combination  which  explains  his  later  success. 

It  was  while  occupying  this  position  as  traveling  salesman  with  the  St.  Louis 
wholesale  shoe  house,  of  which  his  brother,  A.  D.  Brown,  was  a  member  and  which 
was  engaged  in  the  jobbing  of  eastern  made  shoes,  that  G.  W.  Brown,  then  only  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  first  became  impressed  with  the  greater  possibilities  of  St.  Louis 
for  the  manufacture  of  good  shoes.  He  promptly  imparted  these  Ideas  to  his  brother, 
A.  D.  Brown,  who  gave  some  consideration  to  them,  but  concluded  not  to  undertake 
the  project  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that  nearly  all  such  ventures  in  the  past  had  been 
failures,  and,  as  he  pointed  out  to  George  W.  Brown,  they  had  a  prosperous  business 
and  it  seemed  unwise  to  undertake  the  manufacture  of  shoes  with  the  probability  of 
failure  before  them.  After  waiting  for  about  a  year  George  W.  Brown,  becoming  more 
and  more  interested  in  his  plan  as  the  result  of  his  study  of  the  business  situation 
and  conditions,  invited  two  other  men  to  join  him  in  establishing  a  shoe  factory.  The 
combined  available  capital  of  the  three  amounted  to  only  twelve  thousand  dollars. 
Nevertheless,  after  returning  from  one  of  his  trips  in  November,  1878,  Mr.  Brown 
informed  his  brother,  as  the  head  of  the  firm  tor  which  he  was  working,  that  he 
intended  to  undertake  the  project.  The  brother  used  every  argument  in  his  power 
to  dissuade  him,  but  he  could  not  be  moved.  There  was  no  written  agreement  with 
his  friends,  but  he  had  given  his  word  to  them  and  the  word  of  George  Warren  Brown 
has  ever  been  as  conclusive  as  any  bond  fortified  with  signature  and  seal.  The  brother 
even  offered  him  a  partnership,  as  he  felt  sure  that  the  venture  would  not  succeed, 
but  G.  W.  Brown  resigned  his  position  and  in  so  doing  displayed  another  of  his  character- 
istics inasmuch  as  before  leaving  the  firm  he  had  secured  the  services  of  another 
young  man,  subject  to  the  firm's  approval,  for  the  important  territory  which  he  was. 
giving  up;  and  it  is  also  worthy  of  mention  here  that  this  friend  whom  Mr.  Brown 
had  selected  when  he  himself  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  years  became  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  his  house  and  is  today  a  director  in  the  Hamilton-Brown  Shoe  Company. 

The  new  venture  which  George  W.  Brown  and  his  partners  launched  proved  suc- 
cessful and  three  years  later,  Hamilton-Brown  Shoe  Company  followed  In  his  footsteps 
and  also  began  the  manufacture  of  shoes,  and  while  the  two  organizations  competed 
in  the  same  line  of  business,  during  all  the  years  since  the  most  cordial  and  friendly 
feeling  has  always  existed  between  them.  The  enterprise  in  which  G.  W.  Brown 
embarked  was  launched,  becoming  the  first  successful  shoe  manufacturing  organization 
of  St.  Louis,  and  it  has  been  the  pride  of  his  fellow  townsmen  to  the  present  day. 
Since  then  the  years  of  his  life  have  passed  quickly  in  interested  devotion  to  his 
business  and  he  has  always  held  steadfastly  to  the  principle  of  high  grade  methods 
and  of  placing  only  high  grade  men  in  positions  of  responsibility.  His  success  has 
been  continuous,  each  forward  step  with  its  consequent  broader  outlook  and  wider 
opportunity  enabling  him  to  help  in  the  promotion  of  every  good  work. 


22  CEXTEXNIAI.  [IlSToRV  OF  MISSOURI 

The  Brown  Shoe  Company.  Incorporated,  originally  known  as  Bryan-Brown  and 
Company,  was  founded  in  November.  1878.  and  associated  with  Mr.  Brown  in  its  organi- 
zation were  A.  L.  Bryan  and  J.  B.  Desnoyers.  A  man  of  vision,  ambition,  courage,  and 
enterprise,  with  a  faith  and  a  character  that  kept  his  heart  and  purpose  right,  Mr. 
Brown  developed  the  business  along  unassailable  lines.  The  original  capital  was 
twelve  thousand  dollars,  of  which  about  one-third  was  invested  in  shoe  machinery, 
lasts,  patterns  and  other  equipment.  Their  first  employes  were  five  Rochester  expert 
shoe  workers,  and  in  order  to  persuade  these  men  to  remove  to  St.  Louis,  it  was 
necessary  to  furnish  their  railroad  fares.  Something  of  the  rapid  growth  of  the  enter- 
prise is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  in  less  than  one  year  the  factory  was  removed  from. 
its  first  location.  104  South  Eighth  Street,  to  larger  quarters  in  the  Cupples  building  at 
Eighth  and  Walnut  Streets,  first  occupying  the  top  floor  of  this  building,  while  not 
long  afterward  the  next  floor  below  was  secured  and  later  the  owner  erected  an  addi- 
tional story  for  the  use  of  the  firm.  The  growth  of  the  enterprise  is  largely  the  history 
of  the  shoe  trade  of  St.  Louis.  The  business  has  constantly  increased,  demanding 
various  removals  from  time  to  time  in  order  to  secure  enlarged  quarters.  In  1885 
Mr.  Brown  purchased  A.  L.  Bryan's  holdings  in  the  company,  as  Mr.  Bryan's  health 
made  it  necessary  for  him  to  move  to  California,  and  in  1893  J.  B.  Desnoyers,  then 
Tice  president  retired  from  the  company  and  the  corporate  name  became  The  Brown 
Shoe  Company.  The  company's  business  thereafter  grew  with  more  rapid  strides  each 
year,  so  that  the  shipments  during  its  last  year  in  the  Eleventh  and  Washington 
Avenue  building  amounted  to  more  than  eight  million  dollars.  For  fifteen  years  the 
company  occupied  the  west  third  of  this  block,  which  is  now  used  by  the  Rice-Stix 
Dry  Goods  Company. 

The  continued  growth  led  to  the  formulation  of  plans  for  the  erection  of  a  build- 
ing especially  for  this  company — plans  that  were  vigorously  prosecuted  until  on  the 
1st  of  January,  1907,  the  Brown  Shoe  Company  opened  to  their  customers  and  friends 
the  White  House.  The  occasion  was  a  record  one  of  the  kind.  The  large  lobby  of  the 
first  floor  was  beautifully  decorated  with  palms  and  cut  flowers,  many  of  which  were 
contributed  by  competitors  and  other  wholesale  houses  of  St.  Louis.  A  reception  was 
held  and  refreshments  served,  the  guests  of  that  occasion  numbering  many  of  the  tore- 
most  citizens  of  St.  Louis.  Addresses  were  made  by  Ex-Governor  D.  R.  Francis,  E.  C. 
Simmons,  Colonel  George  W.  Parker,  Rev.  Napthali  Luccock,  Hon.  C.  V.  Anderson  and 
A.  B.  Groves,  architect  of  the  building,  after  which  the  guests  were  shown  through 
the  building.  Thus  was  dedicated  to  commerce  the  White  House  building  in  St.  Louis, 
used  for  assembling  and  distributing  shoes  produced  in  all  the  factories  of  the  company 
and  also  used  for  its  sales  headquarters,  general  and  executive  offices.  This  building  is 
the  largest  and  finest  used  by  any  shoe  house  for  the  same  purpose  in  America.  The 
company  was  reorganized  January  2,  1913,  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
as  Brown  Shoe  Company,  Incorporated,  with  a  capital  stock  of  ten  million  dollars. 
Mr.  Brown  was  president  of  the  first  incorporated  organization  in  1880  and  so  continued 
until  May  18,  1915,  a  period  of  thirty-five  years,  which  is  probably  the  record  for 
any  man  whose  business  grew  from  so  small  a  beginning,  with  steady  advancement 
each  year  on  a  single  foundation  without  the  absorption  of  any  other  concern. 

After  thirty-five  years  as  president  Mr.  Brown  resigned  and  was  then  elected 
chairman  of  the  board  of  directors,  which  position  he  continues  to  hold,  and  he  is 
also  a  member  of  the  executive  committee.  Seven  large  plants  of  the  company  are 
located  in  St.  Louis  and  six  in  the  St.  Louis  shoe  zone  of  Missouri  and  Illinois.  About 
eight  thousand  employes  are  now  on  the  pay  roll.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  salesmen 
sell  the  company's  goods  all  over  the  United  States  and  in  many  foreign  countries, 
including  the  far  east.  In  1920  the  company's  shipments  amounted  to  thirty-seven 
million  dollars.  To  Mr.  Brown  is  attributable  the  development  of  one  of  the  largest 
shoe  concerns  in  the  world  and  high  grade  business  methods  have  been  followed  con- 
tinuously, applied  to  all  transactions  in  both  the  buying  and  selling  sides  of  the 
business. 

On  the  7th  of  April.  1885,  the  anniversary  of  Mr.  Brown's  leaving  home  personally 
to  take  up  the  battle  of  life,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  George  Warren  Brown 
and  Bettie  Bofinger.  The  wedding,  which  occurred  in  the  Southern  Hotel  in  St.  Louis, 
was  a  notable  occasion.     They  have  a  son,  Wilbur  George  Brown,  born  March  21,  1896. 

Mr.  Brown  believes  "a  man's  a  man  for  a'  that"  and  has  always  manifested  an 
Interest  in  every  employe  entitled  to  recognition  through  his  ambition,  energy,  hon- 
esty, application  and  ability,  and  such  have  been  promoted  from  time  to  time  until 
nearly  all  of  those  who  now  are  directors  of  the  company  and   heads  of  departments 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  23 

have  worked  up  from  humble  positions  in  the  company's  employ.  It  has  always  been 
one  of  the  aims  and  purposes  of  his  life  to  assist  young  men  in  gaining  a  start  and 
he  does  many  things  unknown  to  the  general  public  for  the  good  of  the  coming  genera- 
tion. He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Mercantile  Club  and  also  of  the  oH  Business 
Men's  League,  now  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  has  ever  been  anxious  and  willing 
to  do  for  St.  Louis,  to  assist  in  its  upbuilding  and  promote  its  growth  in  every  laudable 
way.  He  is  a  sincere  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  eyer  ready  with  his  purse 
for  this  cause.  During  the  period  of  the  "World  war  he  was  chairman  of  several 
important  committees,  was  a  member  of  the  Missouri  Council  of  Defense  and  also  a 
member  of  the  National  War  Work  Council  of  the  International  Y.  M.  C.  A.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  International  Committee  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  was 
former  president  of  the  St.  Louis  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  is  still  on  its  board  of  directors. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  three  general  conferences  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  is  a  director  of  the  St.  Louis  Provident  Association.  Aside  from  his  large  business 
interests  he  has  within  the  past  fifteen  years  promoted  or  erected  more  of  the  modern 
new  business  buildings  on  upper  Washington  Avenue  and  Locust  Street  in  St.  Louis 
than  all  others  put  together.  In  politics  he  is  an  independent  republican.  He  has 
membership  in  the  St.  Louis,  St.  Louis  Country,  Noonday  and  City  Clubs.  In  a  review 
of  his  life  and  record,  it  will  be  seen  that  one  of  the  salient  characteristics  of  George 
Warren  Brown  has  been  thoroughness;  another  element  that  of  unwavering  resolu- 
tion to  merit  the  trust  reposed  in  him  and  at  no  time  to  sell  out  principle  to  produce 
business  advancement.  This  was  manifest  in  his  career  as  an  employe  and  has  char- 
acterized his  record  as  a  successful  business  man.  Moreover,  he  has  always  keenly 
realized  his  individual  responsibilities  to  his  t'ellowmen  while  on  life's  highway  to  a 
life  more  abuadant  and  more  enduring. 


WILLIAM  S.  WOODS. 


William  S.  Woods,  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Security  National  Bank 
of  Kansas  City,  was  born  in  Platte  county,  Missouri,  July  4,  1855.  His  father,  Washington 
T.  Woods,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  came  to  Missouri  as  a  pioneer  in  his  boyhood  days, 
becoming  a  resident  of  Weston,  in  Platte  county.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity, 
he  married  Nancy  Elizabeth  McKinney,  a  native  of  this  state,  who  passed  away  about 
eight  years  ago  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  seven  of  whom  are  living,  William  S.  Woods  being  the  eldest.  The  father  was 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  South,  and  was  a  Knights  Templar  Mason, 
active  and  prominent  in  the  organization.  He  was  a  captain  of  the  Home  Guard  during 
the  Civil  war  and  was  ever  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  pertained  to  the  welfare 
and  progress  of  the  state. 

William  S.  Woods  was  a  pupil  in  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  and  initiated  his  business  career  as  bookkeeper  with  the  H.  D.  Rush  Milling 
Company.  After  a  year  he  became  connected  with  the  firm  of  Keith  &  Heney,  coal 
dealers  of  Kansas  City,  whom  he  represented  as  bookkeeper  and  collector,  remaining 
with  that  firm  for  two  years  as  an  employe,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  admitted 
to  a  partnership.  Two  years  later  Mr.  Heney  sold  out  and  John  Perry  joined  the  other 
partner  under  the  style  of  Keith  &  Perry  Coal  Company,  which  firm  existed  for  twelve 
years.  During  Mr.  Woods'  connection  with  the  business  the  annual  sales  increased  from 
seventy-five  thousand  to  a  million  and  a  half  dollars.  He  was  an  active  factor  in  the 
development  of  the  trade  and  in  the  extension  of  the  business,  with  which  he  was  con- 
nected until  failing  health  caused  him  to  retire  and  he  went  to  California,  where  he 
remained  for  two  months.  Since  his  return  to  Kansas  City  he  has  been  identified  with 
banking  interests  and  with  the  real  estate  and  loan  business  and  is  chairman  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Security  National"  Bank.  For  eight  years  he  was  also  trust 
officer  of  the  Pioneer  Trust  Company  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in-  the  financial  circles  of 
the  state.  Aside  from  his  other  connections  he  is  a  director  of  the  North  Kansas  City  Bank 
and  he  is  largely  interested  in  farming  and  the  raising  of  live  stock.  His  various  busi- 
ness activities  have  been  most  carefully  and  wisely  directed  and  have  been  productive  of 
splendid  results. 

On  the  11th  of  April,  1883,  Mr.  Woods  was  married  to  Miss  Mattie  Gary,  a  daughter 
of  Judge  Lucius  Cary,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Missouri  and  a  Mayflower  descendant. 


24  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woods  have  been  born  three  children:  Clay,  mentioned  elsewhere  in 
this  work;  Martha  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Philip  H.  Noland  of  the  Moline  Plow  Company 
of  Moline,  Illinois,  and  Lucia,  now  the  wife  of  Farwell  Winston  and  the  mother  of  one 
child,  Ann. 

Mr.  Woods  belongs  to  the  Kansas  City  Club,  is  a  member  of  the  Real  Estate  Board 
and  of  the  Commercial  Club.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  all  those  activities  which  feature 
in  the  business  development  and  consequent  upbuilding  of  the  city  and  his  cooperation 
can  at  all  times  be  counted  upon  to  further  any  plan  or  measure  for  the  public  good. 
In  politics  he  is  a  democrat  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  South, 
in  which  he  is  serving  as  deacon,  and  in  the  work  of  the  church  he  is  deeply  interested. 
He  stands  as  a  splendid  type  of  the  self-made  man  to  whom  opportunity  has  ever  been  a 
call  to  action,  his  intense  industry,  intelligently  directed,  constituting  the  basis  of  his 
success,  which  now  places  him  among  the  men  of  aflBuence  in  Kansas  City. 


JOHN    BARBER   WHITE. 


Throughout  his  active  life  John  Barber  White  has  been  connected  with  the 
lumber  industry  and  was  foremost  among  those  engaged  in  the  exploitation  and 
development  of  yellow  pine.  His  activities  have  been  of  far-reaching  importance 
and  yet  have  constituted  but  one  phase  of  his  career,  for  he  has  done  much  im- 
portant public  service  and  throughout  his  entire  life  his  studious  habits  have  made 
him  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments.  Kansas  City  has  long  numbered  him  among 
her  foremost  residents,  although  his  connection  with  the  lumber  trade  has  cov- 
ered many  sections  of  the  country.  A  native  of  New  York,  Mr.  White  was  born 
in  Chautauqua  county.  December  8,  1847,  his  parents  being  John  and  Rebekah 
(Barber)  White.  His  ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  John  White,  of  South  Peth- 
erton,  Somerset,  England,  who  in  1638  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  became  identified 
with  colonial  interests  in  the  new  world  as  a  settler  at  Salem,  now  Wenham, 
Massachusetts.  A  son  of  John  White,  and  his  wife  Joana  was  Josiah  White,  the 
direct  ancestor  of  John  Barber  White  in  the  second  generation.  He  married  Mary 
Rice  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Josiah  White,  who  wedded  Abigail  Whitcomb. 
The  ancestral  line  is  traced  down  through  their  son  Josiah  and  his  wife,  Deborah 
House;  through  Luke  and  Eunice  White,  the  latter  a  granddaughter  of  Colonel 
Jonathan  White,  to  their  son  John  and  his  wife,  Rebekah  Barber.  The  family 
has  figured  prominently  in  both  England  and  America  through  several  centuries, 
especially  in  connection  with  valuable  public  service  rendered.  In  this  connec- 
tion it  is  noted  that  Robert  White,  the  father  of  John  White,  the  emigrant,  was 
guardian  and  church  warden  at  South  Petherton,  Somersetshire,  as  early  as  1578, 
as  was  also  his  grandfather  before  him.  To  the  son,  John  White,  was  accorded 
a  grant  of  sixty  acres  at  Salem,  now  Wenham,  Massachusetts,  and  later  he  received 
several  other  grants  of  land.  He  built  the  first  saw  and  grist-mill  at  Wenham 
and  thus  aided  in  laying  the  foundation  of  business  development  there.  His  son, 
Josiah  White,  served  as  a  private  in  King  Philip's  war  and  was  sergeant  in  com- 
mand of  a  garrison  on  the  west  side  of  the  Penicook  river,  called  fhe  Neck.  His 
son,  Josiah  White  (II),  rendered  military  aid  in  the  Colonial  war  and  was  a  man 
of  considerable  prominence  in  Lancaster,  where  he  acted  as  tithing  man  in  1718 
and  was  also  one  of  the  first  seven  selectmen  of  the  town,  filling  that  position  for 
five  years.  For  a  year  he  acted  as  town  treasurer  and  for  three  years  was  rep- 
resentative to  the  general  court.  In  1729  he  became  a  deacon  of  the  first  church 
of  the  community  and  so  continued  until  his  death,  or  tor  a  period  of  forty-three 
years.  Josiah  White  (III)  was  the  builder  of  the  first  sawmill  in  Leominster,  the 
dam  of  which  is  still  in  use.  His  brother,  Jonathan  White,  was  a  large  land- 
holder and  one  of  the  first  proprietors  as  well  as  an  officer  of  the  town  of  Charle- 
mont,  Franklin  county,  Massachusetts.  At  the  time  of  the  French  and  Indian 
war  he  was  commissioned  captain  in  a  Worcester  regiment  commanded  by  Colonel 
Ruggles,  this  command  marching  from  Crown  Point  in  17  55.  Captain  White 
was  later  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  and  afterward  became  lieutenant  colonel 
and  colonel.  The  name  of  White  again  figures  in  connection  with  the  military 
history  of  the  country  through  the  service  of  Luke  White,  who  was  a  member 
of  Captain  Warner's  Company  of  Colonel  Marshall's  Regiment  in  the  Revolution- 
ary   war   and   later   acted   as   clerk   in    the   commissary    department.     Thus    in    sue- 


JOHN  BARBER  WHITE 


>f^'^^^^A 


riu»6W  f* 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  Ol-   MISSOURI  27 

ceeding    generations    the    family    has    rendered    valuable    service    to    the    country    in 
one   connection   or  another. 

John  White,  father  of  John  Barber  White,  became  a  representative  of  the 
teaching  profession  and  afterward  engaged  in  tlie  manufacture  of  lumber  and 
veneer.  In  1843  he  became  a  resident  of  Chautauqua  county.  New  York,  and 
thus  it  was  that  Jolin  Barber  White  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  that  county. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  and  afterward  became  a  student  in  the  Jamestown 
(N.  Y.)  Academy.  He  initiated  his  business  career  as  a  partner  of  the  two  Jenner 
brothers,  witli  whom  he  purchased  a  tract  of  pine  land  near  Youngsville,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  18  68.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  continuously  connected  with  the 
lumber  industry.  In  1870  he  opened  a  lumberyard  at  Brady  and  another  at  Pet- 
rolia,  Pennsylvania,  in  connection  with  R.  A.  Kinnear.  and  in  1874  he  purcliased 
the  Arcade  mill  in  Tidioute,  Pennsylvania,  and  established  a  lumberyard  at  Scrub- 
grass,  that  state.  He  further  extended  his  activities  when  in  187  8  lie  purchased 
a  stave-heading-  and  shingle-mill  in  Irvineton.  Pennsylvania,  and  in  the  conduct 
of  that  business  met  with  the  same  substantial  success  which  had  characterized 
his  activities  in  other  relations.  In  1880  he  joined  E.  B.  Grandin,  J.  L.  Grandin, 
Captain  H.  H.  Cummings  and  John  L.  and  Livingston  L.  Hunter,  of  Tidioute, 
Pennsylvania,  in  organizing  the  Missouri  Lumber  &.  Mining  Company,  which 
was  one  of  the  first  to  become  identified  with  the  yellow  pine  industry.  The  com- 
pany opened  offices  and  mills  at  Grandin,  Missouri,  where  headquarters  were  main- 
tained for  twenty  years  and  then  removed  to  West  Eminence,  Missouri.  In  1892 
the  opportunities  offered  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  attracted  the  firm  and  offices 
were  here  established.  Prom  the  inception  of  the  company  Mr.  White  has  been 
general  manager  and  tor  a  number  of  years  has  occupied  the  presidency.  From 
the  beginning  the  enterprise  has  grown  and  prospered  and  has  become  one  of  the 
extensive  lumber  interests  of  tliis  section  of  the  country.  Nor  has  Mr.  White  con- 
fined his  efforts  alone  to  the  operations  of  this  firm.  In  1899  he  was  associated 
with  Oliver  W.  Fisher  and  others  in  organizing  the  Louisiana  Long  Leaf  Lumber 
Company,  with  mills  at  Victoria  and  at  Fisher,  Louisiana.  Upon  the  organiza- 
tion he  was  elected  a  director  and  secretary  of  the  company.  A  further  step  in  the 
expansion  of  his  business  interests  was  made  when  he  formed  the  Louisiana  Cen- 
tral Lumber  Company  in  1901,  with  mills  at  Standard  and  at  Clarks,  Louisiana, 
and  from  the  beginning  he  has  been  the  president  thereof.  He  is  likewise  the 
president  of  the  Forest  Lumber  Company,  which  has  established  a  chain  of  retail 
lumberyards.  They  also  have  a  mill  located  at  Oakdale,  Louisiana,  which  makes 
a  specialty  of  large  timbers  and  foreign  shipments.  On  a  tract  of  one  hundred 
thousand  acres,  purchased,  from  the  Gould  heirs  in  January,  1918,  the  associated 
companies  of  Mr.  White  have  established  two  new  lumber  plants^the  Louisiana 
Sawmill  Company,  Inc.,  located  at  Glenmora,  Louisiana,  and  the  White  Grandin 
Company  located  at  Slagle,  Louisiana.  He  is  interested  in  seven  manufacturing 
plants  in  Louisiana.  He  is  the  president  and  general  manager  of  Missouri  Lum- 
ber &  Land  Exchange  Company  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  The  Grandin  Coast 
Lumber  Company,  which  has  large  holdings  in  Washington,  claims  him  as  vice 
president.  His  efforts  have  not  been  confined  alone  to  his  extensive  and  success- 
ful operations  in  lumber,  for  he  is  identified  with  a  number  of  otlier  profitable 
business  interests.  In  1874  at  Youngsville,  Pennsylvania,  he  founded  a  weekly 
paper  called  the  Warren  County  News,  which  he  afterward  purchased  outright 
in  connection  with  E.  W.  Hoag,  and  removed  to  Tidioute.  From  1886  until  1907 
he  was  closely  associated  with  banking  interests  at  Poplar  Bluff,  Missouri,  as 
president  of  a  bank  there.  He  is  likewise  a  director  of  the  New  England  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Kansas  City  and  is  the  vice  president  of  the  Fisher  Flouring  Mills 
Company,  with  mills  at  Seattle,  Washington,  and  Belgrade,  Montana.  He  has 
been  prominently  connected  with  organized  effort  to  promote  the  development  of 
the  lumber  industry  and  bring  about  conditions  most  favorable  thereto.  In  1882 
he  organized  the  first  lumber  manufacturers'  association  in  the  southern  states 
which  operated  for  many  years  as  the  Yellow  Pine  Manufacturers'  Association, 
of  which  he  was  president  for  the  first  three  years  of  its  existence.  He  is  also 
a  representative  of  the  directorate  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  and  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  governors  of  the  National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Asso- 
ciation. Another  line  of  interest  in  the  life  of  Mr.  White  is  indicated  in  the  fact 
that    he    is    a   life    member    of   the    Holstein-Friesian    Association. 

Before   his   removal   to   the   middle   west   Mr.   White   was   married   on    the    2 2d 


28  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

of  July,  1874,  to  Miss  Arabell  Bowen,  of  Chautauqua  county,  New  York,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  Washington  and  Eliza  (Smith)  Bowen.  They  became  the  parents 
of  two  children:  John  Franklin,  now  deceased;  and  Fanny  Arabell,  the  wife 
of  Alfred  Tyler  Hemingway,  general  manager  of  the  Forest  Lumber  Company  of 
Kansas  City.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  White  chose  Miss  Emma  Siggins,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Benjamin  Baird  and  Elizabeth  (Walker)  Siggins.  of  "Voungsville,  Penn- 
sylvania. Their  marriage,  celebrated  on  the  6th  of  December,  1882,  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children:  Emma  Ruth;  Jay  Barber,  now  deceased;  and  Ray- 
mond Baird.  The  last  named,  like  his  father,  has  become  prominently  identified 
with  the  lumber  trade.  He  owns  a  lumberyard  in  Newark,  Ohio,  and  also  in 
several  nearby  towns,  and  is  associated  with  his  father  as  assistant  general  man- 
ager of  the  Missouri  Lumber  &  Land  Exchange  Company  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 
Failing  to  pass  the  physical  examination  for  entrance  into  the  navy  school  at 
Detroit  and  also  at  Chicago,  he  was  given  a  position  by  the  government  in  charge 
of  selecting  the  lumber  for  airplane  stock  used  in  the  manufacture  of  airplanes 
at  Dayton,  where  he  worked  until  the  close  of  the  war,  rendering  valuable  serv- 
ice  to  the  government   because   of  his   experience   as   a   lumberman. 

John  B.  White  was  also  active  in  connection  with  war  interests.  He  was  ap- 
pointed a  member  of  the  sliipping  board  by  President  Wilson  upon  its  organiza- 
tion in  1917  and  so  served  until  forced  to  resign  on  account  of  ill  health.  His 
activities,  however,  have  been  of  a  most  extensive  character  and  have  been  of 
direct  service  to  the  country  in  various  ways,  aside  from  the  line  of  commercial 
and  industrial  development.  Something  of  the  nature  of  his  interests  is  indicated 
in  the  fact  that  he  is  deputy  governor  of  the  Missouri  Society  of  Colonial  Wars 
and  was  made  the  fourth  vice  president  from  Missouri,  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. He  is  a  life  member  of  the  American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social 
Science  and  he  has  similar  connection  with  the  New  England  Historical  and 
Genealogical  Society,  also  with  the  Heath,  Massachusetts,  Historical  Society.  He 
has  a  life  membership  in  the  Kansas  City  Historical  Society,  of  which  he  has  been 
made  president,  and  he  is  a  director  of  the  National  Conservation  Association  and 
the  American  Forestry  Association.  His  membership  relations  extend  to  the  Vir- 
ginia Historical  Society,  the  Old  Northwest  of  Ohio,  the  Missouri  Historical  Society 
and  the  Harleian  Historical  Society  of  London.  England.  From  1912  until  1914 
he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Trans-Mississippi  Commercial  Congress.  He  has 
been  a  trustee  of  of  the  Kidder  Institute  and  of  Drury  College  at  Springtield,  Mis- 
souri, and  he  is  a  member  of  the  National  Geographic  Society  and  the  American 
Society  of  International  Law.  He  is  likewise  connected  with  the  International 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Pollution  of  Rivers  and  Waterways  and  he  belongs 
to  the  American  Academy  of  Political  Science  of  New  York  city.  While  residing 
at  Youngsville,  Pennsylvania,  he  served  as  president  of  the  board  of  education 
from  1877  to  1879  and  1880  to  1883,  and  in  187  8  he  was  elected  to  represent  his 
district  in  the  lower  house  of  the  Pennsylvania  general  assembly  and  was  made 
a  member  of  the  committee  of  seven  elected  by  the  Pennsylvania  legislature  in 
1879  to  prosecute  cases  of  bribery.  In  November,  1905,  he  received  appointment 
from  President  Roosevelt  as  his  personal  representative  to  investigate  affairs  on 
the  Cass  Lake  (Minn.)  Indian  i-eservation  and  to  report  as  to  the  advisability  of 
opening  up  the  reservation  for  settlement.  Pi-esident  Roosevelt  also  appointed 
him  a  member  of  the  forestry  department  on  the  commission  on  conservation  of 
natural  resources  in  19  07  and  two  years  later  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
state  forest  commission  by  Governor  Hadley  of  Missouri.  His  next  official  posi- 
tion was  that  of  aid-de-camp  with  the  rank  of  colonel  on  the  governor's  staff. 
He  served  as  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  during  the  first,  second  and 
third  national  conservation  congresses,  and  when  the  fourth  congress  convened 
in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  in  September,  1911,  he  was  elected  president.  Gen- 
ealogical research  has  always  been  a  matter  of  keen  intrest  to  him  and  in  1909 
he  published  the  "Genealogy  of  the  Ancestors  and  Descendants  of  John  White 
of  Wenham  and  Lancaster,  Massachusetts,  1574-1909,"  in  four  volumes,  and  also 
the  "Genealogy  of  the  Descendants  of  Thomas  Gleason  of  Watertown,  Massa- 
chusetts, 1607-1909,"  and  the  "Barber  Genealogy,  1714-1909,"  since  which  time 
he  has  published  another  volume,  "Ancestry  of  John  Barber  White  and  of  His 
Descendants."  His  wife,  Emma  Siggins  White,  is  equally  interested  in  geneal- 
logical  work  with  Mr.  White  and  the  most  recent  volume  they  have  brought  out 
is,   "Genesis  of  the  White  Family,"  a  connected  record  of  the  White  family  begin- 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  AIISSOURI  29 

« 

ning  in  900,  at  the  time  of  its  Welsh  origin,  when  the  name  was  Wynn,  and  trac- 
ing the  family  into  Ireland  and  England."  Several  of  the  name  entered  England 
with  the  Norman  conquerors.  Representatives  of  the  English  branch  emigrated 
to  America  in  1638.  He  has  frequently  been  heard  on  the  lecture  platform, 
speaking  on  questions  relative  to  the  conservation  of  the  forests  and  other  natural 
resources,  and  some  of  these  addresses  have  since  appeared  in  pamphlet  form, 
being  freely  distributed  by  the  conservation  congresses,  the  Trans-Mississippi  Con- 
gress and  Lumber  Associations.  Mr.  White  is  well  known  in  Masonic  circles, 
having  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite.  As  a  clubman,  too, 
he  is  well  known,  belonging  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Mid-Day,  City,  Knife 
and  Fork  Clubs,  the  Kansas  City  Club,  and  the  Mission  Hills  Golf, Club,  all  of 
Kansas  City.  While  he  maintains  his  winter  residence  in  Kansas  City,  he  has 
a  fine  summer  home  at  Bemus  Point,  Chautauqua  county.  New  York,  and  thus 
he  maintains  associations  with  the  district  in  which  his  birth  occurred.  He  has 
long  been  a  man  of  broad  vision  and  of  high  ideals  whose  life  has  never  been  self- 
centered.  While  he  has  attempted  important  things  and  has  accomplished  what 
he  has  attempted,  his  success  has  never  represented  another's  losses,  but  has 
resulted  from  effort,  intelligently  applied,  and  the  generous  use  which  he  has 
made  of  his  means  in  assisting  others  marks  him  as  a  man  of  kindly  spirit,  who 
recognizes    the   obligations    and    responsibilities    of    life. 


WILLIAM  W.  BUTTS. 


.  Starting  out  to  provide  for  his  own  support  when  a  youth  of  fifteen,  William  W. 
Butts  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources,  and  along  the  line  of  orderly 
progrression  has  advanced  until  he  is  at  the  head  of  a  profitable  business  conducted  under 
the  name  of  the  Butts  Realty  Company  of  St.  Louis,  of  which  he  is  the  president.  He 
was  born  in  Riverton,  Iowa,  June  10,  1875,  and  is  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Christopher  L.  and 
Wayne  (Dennis)  Butts.  The  father  was  a  Baptist  minister,  who  was  born  in  Clay 
county,  Missouri,  and  was  a  son  of  William  L.  Butts,  who  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  in  northwest  Missouri  and  was  at  one  time  county  judge  of  Andrew  county. 
Christopher  L.  Butts  filled  a  number  of  pastorates  in  Missouri,  the  last  one  being  at 
Cameron,  and  he  was  also  a  trustee  of  the  William  Jewell  College,  at  Liberty,  this  state. 
He  departed  this  life  at  Cameron  August  4,  1889,  being  forty-five  years  of  age.  His  wife 
survived  him  for  several  years,  passing  away  in  Craig,  Missouri,  February  14,  1897,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-three.  She  was  born  in  Boonville,  Missouri,  and  was  there  reared  by 
her  grandparents.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  Mr.  Butts  joined  General  Price's  army 
and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Wilson  Creek,  where  he  was  captured  and  later  was  incar- 
cerated at  St.  Joe,  Missouri,  having  been  taken  prisoner  by  his  uncle,  who  was  a  federal 
major.  To  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Butts  were  born  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  the  latter  being 
Mrs.  Ada  B.  Smith,  the  widow  of  William  M.  Smith,  while  the  brother  of  William  W. 
Butts  is  Cornelius  L.  Butts,  sales  manager  of  the  Wood  Shovel  &  Tool  Company,  of  Piqua, 
Ohio. 

William  W.  Butts  pursued  his  education  in  a  private  school  at  Cameron,  Missouri, 
and  in  the  public  schools  of  Maryville,  Missouri,  which  he  attended  to  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  and  then  started  out  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by  becoming  a  clerk  in  the  employ 
of  his  brother-in-law,  William  M.  Smith,  who  was  the  proprietor  of  a  drug  store  at  Craig, 
Missouri.  Under  his  direction  Mr.  Butts  studied  pharmacy  and  when  nineteen  years 
of  age  became  a  registered  pharmacist.  In  1897  he  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  where  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Bridaham-Quereau  Drug  Company,  wholesale  druggists,  and 
was  made  secretary  of  the  firm.  There  he  continued  in  business  until  1902,  when  he  sold 
out  and  went  to  Philadelphia  to  become  manager  of  the  National  Gum  &  Mica  Company. 
In  1903  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  H.  K.  Mulford  Company,  of  Philadelphia,  as  a 
traveling  salesman,  and  after  four  years  spent  in  that  position  came  to  St.  Louis  in  1907, 
and  turned  his  attention  to  the  real  estate  business  in  connection  with  his  brother, 
Cornelius  L.  Butts.  Later  the  brother  withdrew  from  the  partnership  and  the  business 
is  now  conducted  uti,der  the  name  of  the  Butts  Realty  Company  with  William  W.  Butts 
as  the  president.  He  has  become  widely  and  favorably  known  in  real  estate  circles  and 
has  gained  a  good  clientage  that  has  enabled  him  to  promote  many  important  property 


30  CP:\'TENNIAL  history  of  MISSOURI 

9 

transfers.    He  was  formerly  the  secretary  and  also  a  director  of  the  St.  Louis  Real  Estate 
Exchange,  filling  office  in  that  body  in  1915  and  1916. 

On  the  15th  of  October  in  1903,  at  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Butts  was  married  to  Miss  Susan 
Parker,  a  daughter  of  Charles  A.  and  Susan  (Fuller)  Parker.  Her  father  removed  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  became  vice  president  of  the  Fere  Marquette  and  also  of  the 
Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Dayton  Railroad  Company.  He  died  in  November,  1904,  at  the 
comparatively  early  age  of  forty-nine  years  and  the  mother  is  now  living  with  lier 
daughter,  Mrs.  Butts,  at  6907  Washington  Boulevard,  in  University  City.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Parker  were  natives  of  the  state  of  Massachusetts.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butts  have 
been  born  two  children,  Katherine  L.  and  Frances  W.,  aged  respectively  fifteen  and  twelve 
years.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  First  Congregational  Church.  Mr.  Butts  is  a 
republican  in  his  political  views,  and  is  now  the  acting  mayor  and  acting  president  of 
the  board  of  aldermen  of  University  City,  following  the  death  of  Mayor  August  Heman, 
who  passed  away  a  short  time  ago.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to 
general  welfare  and  progress,  and  his  aid  and  co-operation  are  given  on  the  side  of 
all  those  activities  which  promote  material,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  progress  of 
the  city  and  state.  Mr.  Butts  was  active  in  connection  with  the  liberty  loan  drives.  He 
belongs  to  Clayton  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Rabboni  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  loyally 
follows  the  teachings  of  the  craft.  He  is  interested  in  golf  and  belongs  to  the  Midland 
Valley  Country  Clifb,  also  has  membership  with  the  Automobile  Club  and  with  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  St.  Louis. 


WALKER   HILL. 


Walker  Hill  is  now  one  of  the  executive  managers  of  the  First  Xational  Bank 
of  St.  Louis,  which  came  into  existence  in  July,  1919,  as  a  consolidation  of  the  St. 
Louis  Union  Bank,  the  Mechanics-American  National  Bank  and  the  Third  National 
Bank  of  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Hill  had  long  been  a  well  known  figure  in  the  financial 
circles  of  the  city  and  had  occupied  the  presidency  of  the  Mechanics-American 
National  Bank  from  1905.  Chance  has  had  no  part  in  shaping  his  career.  His  plans 
have  been  clearly  defined  and  promptly  executed  and  at  all  times  he  has  been  actuated 
by  a  legitimate  and  honorable  ambition  that  has  brought  him  out  of  humble  sur- 
roundings to  a  place  of  leadership  in  the  financial  world.  He  was  born  in  the  beau- 
tiful old  city  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  May  27,  1855,  his  parents  being  Lewis  and  Mary 
Elizabeth  (M.iury)  Hill,  the  former  a  commission  merchant  of  Richmond  and  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  prominent  old  families  of  Virginia.  The  granlfather 
and  great-grandfather  of  Walker  Hill  owned  and  conducted  Rumford  Academy  in 
King  and  Queen  county,  Virginia,  in  which  institution  they  prepared  young  men 
for  the   universities. 

The  early  education  of  Walker  Hill  was  acquired  through  the  instruction  of  his 
parents  and  he  also  spent  four  years  as  a  pupil  in  the  private  school  of  William 
F.  Fox  of  Richmond.  He  made  his  initial  step  in  the  business  world  in  June,  1871, 
and  his  youthful  fondness  for  athletic  sports,  in  which  he  freely  indulged,  especially 
baseball,  was  undoubtedly  a  source  of  the  development  of  a  strong  physical  manhood 
that  well  qualified  him  for  the  duties  which  he  assumed  in  the  business  world. 
On  the  1st  of  July,  1871,  Mr.  Hill  became  messenger  in  the  Planters  National  Bank 
of  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  his  capability  won  him  promotion  to  assistant  teller 
in  1872.  The  following  year  he  was  made  teller  of  the  bank  and  occupied  that  posi- 
tion until  1881,  when  he  was  appointed  cashier  of  the  City  Bank  of  Richmond.  Wlien 
six  years  had  elapsed  he  left  the  south  tor  St.  Louis  and,  following  his  arrival  in  this 
city  in  1887,  he  became  cashier  of  the  Union  Sivings  Institution,  the  predecessor 
of  the  American  Exchange  Bjnk.  His  developing  powers  further  qualifying  him 
for  executive  control  and  administrative  direction  of  large  financial  interests,  he  was 
elected  president  of  the  American  Exchange  Bank  in  1894  and  in  1905  was  called  to 
the  presidency  of  the  Mechanics-American  Xational  Bank  of  St.  Louis,  the  successor 
of  the  Mechanics'  National  and  American  Exchange  National  Banks.  The  new  organi- 
zation was  capitalized  lor  two  million  dollars  and  it  was  not  long  before  its  surplus 
exceeded  its  capitalization.  Mr.  Hill  remained  at  the  head  of  the  bank  and  when  it 
was  merged  into  the  First  National,  together  with  the  Third  National  and  the  St.  Louis 
Union  Bank,  he  became  one  of  the  executive  directors  of  the  new  institution.  His 
name  and   reputation   have   long  been  an   enviable  one   in   the   financial   circles   of   the 


WALKER  HILL 


THi  nn  n^i 


nuiE*.  «)">•* ''•«■•«« I 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  33 

city  and  in  1897  he  was  elected  treasurer  of  the  American  Bankers'  Association. 
During  the  lollowing  year  he  served  as  vice  president  and  in  1900  was  elected  to  the 
presidency.  It  is  a  recognized  fact  that  the  simple  processes  are  those  which 
win  results — not  the  intricate,  involved  plans — and  thus  it  is  that  analyzation  Ijrings 
to  light  the  fact  that  the  successful  men  are  those  whose  rules  of  business  are  simple 
in  plan,  even  though  there  be  a  multiplicity  of  detail.  Investigation  into  the  career 
of  Mr.  Hill  shows  that  it  has  been  through  close  application,  ready  discrimination 
between  the  essential  and  the  non-essential  and  indefatigable  energy  that  he  has 
reached  the  commanding  position  which  he  now  occupies  as  one  of  St.  Louis' 
financiers. 

On  the  14th  of  October,  1885,  in  St.  Louis,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Hill  and  Miss  Jeanie  Morrison  Locliwood,  daughter  of  Richard  J.  and  Angelica 
Peale  (Robinson)  Lockwood.  They  have  become  parents  of  three  children:  Lock- 
wood,  Walker  and  Maury  Hill.  The  family  attend  the  Episcopal  church  and  Mr. 
Hill  has  for  some  years  been  junior  warden  in  St.  Peter's.  His  interests  are  broad 
and  varied  and  his  assistance  is  at  all  times  found  on  the  side  of  reform,  advance- 
ment and  improvement.  He  has  been  treasurer  of  the  Hospital  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Association  and  also  of  the  Humane  Society  of  Missouri  and  has  served  the  Business 
Men's  League  of  St.  Louis  in  the  same  capacity  and  as  president.  He  has  ever 
voted  with  the  democratic  party  but  has  never  cared  to  enter  politics  save  as  a  sup- 
porter at  the  polls  of  the  principles  in  which  he  believes.  The  duties  and  obligations 
of  citizenship,  however,  have  been  fully  met  by  him  and  his  work  has  been  of  the 
utmost  benefit  in  the  business  development  of  St.  Louis.  He  possesses  initiative 
and  a  genius  for  devising  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time,  combined  with  every- 
day common  sense.  As  a  factor  in  financial  circles  he  has  held  to  the  highest 
standards  of  business  integrity,  while  at  the  same  time  he  has  used  every  legitimate 
means  for  increasing  the  scope  of  his  acitvities. 


DAVID    ROWLAND   FRANCIS. 

"What  an  engine  in  breeches!"  commented  William  H.  Taft,  then  secretary  of 
war,  when  he  came  to  St.  Louis  to  arrange  tor  the  representation  of  the  Philippines 
at  the  World's  Fair  of  1904.  The  varied  activities  of  David  R.  Francis  prompted 
from  the  secretary  this  latter-day  application  of  Sydney  Smith's  apostrophe  made 
in  an  earlier  generation.  Like  expressive,  but  less  classical,  was  the  common  saying 
of  those  days  that  David  R.  Francis  had  more  partners  than  any  other  man  in 
St.  Louis.  Threefold  have  been  these  activities  of  Mr.  Francis.  They  began  when 
Missouri  was  fifty  years  old  in  statehood.  They  have  continued  *down  to  Missouri's 
centennial.    In  business,  in  education,  in  politics,  these  activities  have  been  incessant. 

When  Mr.  Francis  completed  his  full  four  years'  course  at  Washington  Univer- 
sity in  1870,  he  had  a  balance  sheet  that  showed  a  credit  of  one  college  diploma 
and  a  debit  of  tour  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  borrowed  to  complete  the  course.  He 
thought  he  wanted  to  be  a  lawyer,  but  the  opportunity  that  knocked  was  some- 
thing altogether  different.  The  offer  ot  a  place  as  shipping  clerk  in  a  grain  com- 
mission house  at  sixty  dollars  a  month  was  the  best  thing  in  sight,  and  Mr.  Francis 
took  it.  He  tramped  the  railroad  yards  and  the  levee;  he  went  on  'change;  he 
wrote  the  weekly  trade  letter  to  country  customers;  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
business  so  zealously  that  his  salary  was  increased  to  seventy-five  dollars  a  month. 
And  during  these  months,  with  his  foot  on  the  lowest  rung,  he  was  carrying  his 
lunch  in  a  paper  parcel.  The  surplus  at  the  end  of  every  month  was  paid  on  the 
college  debt.  The  cost  of  beginning  that  college  course  had  been  earned  by  the 
sale  of  the  Cincinnati  and  Lexington  papers  at  Richmond,  Kentucky,  the  boyhood 
home  of  Mr.  Francis.  Then  was  laid  the  foundation  of  thrift.  The  boy,'  "Davie," 
had  formed  the  habit  of  walking  out  the  pike  to  meet  the  stage  coming  in.  He 
had  won  the  confidence  of  the  driver  in  such  degree  that  he  was  allowed  to  hold 
the  lines  over  the  four  horses.  The  driver  proposed  a  commercial  partnership  by 
which  the  boy  was  to  take  the  bundle  of  daily  papers  and  sell  them  on  commission. 
"I'll  give  you  a  cent  apiece,"  he  offered. 

"I  don't  want  any  pay."  the  boy  said.     "If  you'll  just  let  me  drive  these  tour 
horses  into  Richmond  every  day  I'll  sell  all  the  papers  you  bring." 
Vol.  in— 3 


34  CEXTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

But  the  stage-driver  took  no  advantage  of  the  boyish  enthusiasm  and  the  first 
lesson  that  "a  bargain  is  a  bargain"  was  taught.  As  the  pennies  accumulated  they 
were  put  in  bank.  When  in  1866  the  youth  started  for  St.  Louis  to  get  a  college 
education  he  had  saved  sixty  dollars  in  gold  which  he  traded  for  ninety-six  dollars 
in  greenbacks,  thereby  learning  another  lesson  in  finance  before  entering  Washing- 
ton  University. 

The  months  of  experience  with  the  grain  commission  house  determined  the 
business  vocation.  Seven  years  Mr.  Francis  worked  on  a  salary  and  then  with  his 
savings  set  up  in  the  commission  business  for  himself.  The  conclusion  drawn  from 
a  lifetime's  experience  is  more  interesting  than  the  details  of  the  years.  And 
especially  at  a  time  like  the  present  with  so  much  discussion  about  the  relations 
of  producer  and  consumer.  Not  long  before  he  went  abroad  as  .ambassador  to 
Russia,    Mr.    Francis   said: 

"1  have  always  followed  attentively  all  conditions  that  affect  the  grain  trade 
of  this  country  and  of  the  world.  The  farmers  may  plant  and  the  railroads  may 
water,  but  the  increase  cannot  come  without  the  agency  of  the  merchant  who  is 
the  connecting  link  between  the  producer  and  the  consumer.  Before  the  great 
transportation  systems  were  established,  before  railroads  carried  freight,  before 
the  potentialities  of  steam  were  applied  on  land  or  on  sea,  the  grain  dealer  was 
performing  his  very  important  function  in  promoting  the  commerce  of  the  world. 
Today  he  is  no  less  a  factor  in  the  great  commercial  system  because  the  packhorse 
and  ox  team  have  been  supplanted  by  the  locomotive  and  the  dynamo.  He  still 
stands  ready  to  buy  from  the  producer  and  is  willing  to  deliver  to  the  consumer 
when  the  demand  requires.  Who  can  say  that  the  merchant  does  not  add  to  the 
value  of  the  raw  product  and  at  the  same  time  diminish  the  cost  of  necessities? 
He  has  been  at  all  times  abreast  of  the  increase  of  production  and  of  the  growth 
of  transportation." 

Such  was  the  impression  Mr.  Francis  made  upon  his  business  associates  that, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-three,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Merchants'  Exchange, 
the  youngest  man  to  fill  that  exalted  position.  And  then,  while  he  was  attending 
to  business  one  day,  there  came  a  shout  and  a  crowd  gathered  around  him  with, 
"You've  been  nominated  tor  mayor."  Mr.  Francis  was  elected  by  a  plurality  of 
one  thousand  two  hundred.  Four  years  previous  the  candidate  of  the  opposition 
party  had  carried  the  city  by  fourteen  thousand.  A  business  administration  in  the 
strictest  sense  followed.  A  former  mayor  of  St.  Louis  of  the  opposite  political  party, 
Cyrus  P.  Walbridge,  told  at  the  farewell  banquet  just  before  the  departure  of 
Ambassador  Francis  for  Russia,  some  of  the  constructive  achievements  for  the 
city.  As  mayor,  Mr.  Francis,  so  said  Mr.  Walbridge,  reduced  the  interest  on  the 
municipal  debt  from  six  to  four  percent  and  even  to  three  and  sixty-five  one  hun- 
dred per  cent  on  part  of  the  bonds.  Mayor  Francis  acquired  for  one  million  dollars 
the  site  of  the  new  waterworks  at  the  Chain  of  Rocks,  thereby  giving  St.  Louis  the 
ideal  location  for  the  system  of  water  supply,  protected  for  all  time  against  pollution 
from  sewerage.  Mayor  Francis  brought  down  the  cost  of  gas  from  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  to  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  one  thousand  cubic  feet.  It  was 
the  result  of  the  work  Mayor  Francis  began  that  St.  Louis  became  at  the  time  the 
best  paved  city  in  the  United  States.  Mayor  Francis  collected  from  the  Missouri 
Pacific  one  million  dollars  due  the  city. 

"But,"  concluded  Mr.  Walbridge,  "he  is  not  to  be  judged  by  what  he  did  in 
that  office  but  by  what  the  office  did  in  him.  It  prepared  him  for  the  big  things 
which   he  has  since  done." 

And  among  those  big  things  are  to  be  enumerated  four  years  as  governor  of 
Missouri,  a  part  of  a  term  in  the  cabinet  of  President  Cleveland,  the  presidency  of 
the  World's  Fair  of  1904  and  the  most  important  position  in  the  diplomatic  service 
of  the  United  States  during  the  World  war — ambassador  to  Russia. 

A  year  and  more  before  this  country  joined  the  allies,  after  he  had  been  con- 
firmed as  ambassador  witliout  reference  to  a  committee  and  by  unanimous  vote, 
Mr.  Francis  raised  his  voice  with  no  uncertain  note  for  preparedness.  He  met 
unflinchingly   the  sadly  mistaken   position   of  the   pacifists.      He  said: 

"I  do  not  share  the  belief  cherished  by  some  that  preparedness  on  the  part  of 
a  great  nation  is  more  likely  to  involve  it  in  war  than  if  it  were  not  prepared.  The 
instinctive  love  of  peace  which  pervades  this  republic,  the  conservative  sentiment 
which  characterizes  our  citizens,   are   ample  safeguards   against  intemperate   action. 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  35 

If  the  equipment  of  armies  were  the  same  as  they  were  during  our  War  of  the 
Revolution,  or  even  the  same  as  they  were  during  our  Civil  war,  there  would  be 
no  necessity  tor  preparedness;  the  intelligence  and  the  courage  of  our  people  and 
their  love  of  our  institutions  would  prompt  and  enable  them  to  organize  and 
mobilize  opportunely  for  any  emergency.  The  implements  of  modern  warfare,  how- 
ever, and  the  use  made  thereof,  have  established  beyond  controversy  that  the 
country  which  is  not  properly  and  securely  equipped  is  at  a  great  disadvantage,  if 
not  in  continued  jeopardy." 

With  the  constructive  record  made  as  mayor  of  St.  Louis,  it  was  natural  that 
his  party  should  look  to  David  R.  Francis  for  the  head  of  the  state  ticket.  Three 
months  before  his  four  years'  term  as  mayor  expired  Mr.  Francis  was  inaugurated 
governor.  And  now  a  long  record  of  constructive  work  was  placed  to  his  credit. 
Dignities  and  honors  of  office  seemed  never  to  dull  his  energies  or  repress  his 
activities.  The  first  appropriation  since  the  Civil  war  tor  the  National  Guard  was 
passed.  The  first  Australian  ballot  law,  the  school-book  commission,  the  uniform 
text-book  law,  reduction  of  the  tax  rate,  appointment  of  a  geological  survey, — these 
were  only  samples  of  the  legislation  which  came  from  Governor  Francis'  recom- 
mendations  and  personal  arguments. 

But  the  regeneration  of  the  University  of  Missouri  was,  perhaps,  the  chief  and 
most  enduring  benefit  to  the  state  which  came  about  in  the  Francis  administration. 
When  the  United  States  government  paid  to  Missouri  six  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
the  long  delayed  refund  of  the  direct  tax,  Governor  Francis  made  his  convincing 
appeal  for  the  addition  to  the  endowment  of  the  university.  There  was  prejudice, 
on  various  grounds,  against  the  conduct  of  the  institution.  With  sweeping  reforms 
through  legislation  the  objections  were  overcome.  A  bipartisan  board  of  nine 
curators  was  provided. 

The  institution  had  entered  upon  a  new  era  with  encouraging  prospects  when 
in  February,  1892,  the  main  buildings  burned.  Immediately  Governor  Francis 
called  a  special  meeting  of  the  legislature.  Taking  the  first  train  for  Columbia  he 
addressed  the  students,  advising  them  to  remain  and  go  on  with  their  studies  in 
temporary  quarters,  and  promised  them  rebuilding  should  begin  at  oncis.  ^For  years 
successive  legislatures  had  been  threatening  to  separate  the  agricultural  college  and 
move  it  from  Columbia.  Such  was  the  hostility  occasioned  by  previous  unpopular 
management  that  there  was  grave  danger  the  fire  mighi  cost  Columbia  either  the 
university  or  the  college  of  agriculture.  The  special .  session  was  convened  as 
quickly  as  the  legal  limit  permitted.  Governor  Francis  recommended  an  appropria- 
tion of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  rebuild  and  the  measure  was 
passed  promptly.  From  that  day  the  University  of  Missouri  has  forged  ahead  in 
strength  and  influence  at  a  rate  that  has  been  the  surprise  of  educators  everywhere. 
For  his  policies  and  his  acts  as  governor,  David  R.  Francis  is  called  "the  second 
father  of  the  University."  He  ranks  with  James  S.  Rollins  as  one  of  the  two  men 
who  have  done  most  for  the  institution. 

The  entrance  of  David  R.  Francis  into  politics  dated  back  to  1884,  the  year 
before  he  was  elected  mayor  of  St.  Louis.  Representing  the  Merchants'  Exchange 
Mr.  Francis  headed  a  committee  which  extended  hospitality  to  the  delegates 
assembled  to  choose  Missouri's  delegates-at-large  to  the  Chicago  convention  which 
nominated  Mr.  Cleveland  for  his  first  term.  The  delegates  reciprocated  the  local 
courtesies  shown  and  chose  Mr.  Francis,  though  not  an  avowed  candidate,  as  one 
of  the  four  delegates-at-large.  From  1884  Mr.  Francis  became  active  in  politics, 
taking  forceful  part  in  convention  after  convention,  always  applying  the  practical 
on  broad  lines.  Notwithstanding  the  attitude  of  his  party  on  the  silver  question 
he  stood  firmly  for  sound  money,  just  as  a  generation  later  he  took  his  unswerving 
position   against   Bolshevism. 

During  the  second  term  of  Mr.  Cleveland  Mr.  Francis,  who  had  been  one  of 
the  pronounced  advocates  of  the'  renomination,  held  relations  perhaps  closer  than 
any  other  Missourian  to  the  administration.  In  the  summer  of  1896  he  was  asked 
to  take  the  secretaryship  of  the  interior.  His  term  of  office  was  not  quite  one  year, 
but  in  that  time  he  added  millions  of  acres  to  the  forest  reserves  and  instituted 
reforms  in  the  government  service  which  were  ratified  and  continued  in  the 
McKinley   administration. 

Soon  after  he  retired  from  the  interior  department  Mr.  Francis  delivered  an 
address  before  the  Business  Men's  League  of  St.  Louis  in  which  he  spoke  of  the 
coming  centennial   of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  and  advised  preparation   for  a  fitting 


36  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

celebration.  In  June,  1898,  Mr.  Francis  was  made  one  ot  a  committee  of  fifteen 
to  select  a  larger  committee  representative  of  the  entire  city.  Out  ot  this  developed 
the  World's  Fair  of  1904.  Not  the  least  interesting  or  significant  of  the  motives 
which  prompted  him  to  give  so  generously  his  energies  and  time  to  the  World's 
Fair  is  embodied  in  this  expression  regarding  the  influence  such  a  movement  would 
have  upon  the  people  of  St.  Louis.  "St.  Louis  has  needed  something  like  this," 
reasoned  Mr.  Francis.  "We  are  a  peculiarly  self-centered  people.  We  own  our 
own  city.  We  have  always  stood  ready  to  furnish  capital  to  others.  We  are 
strong  and  prosperous  financially.  But  we  are  perhaps  too  independent.  We  need 
to  be  brought  more  closely  into  contact  with  the  outside  world.  We  need  to  have 
a  certain  narrowness  ot  vision  altered.  We  need  to  learn  something  .of  our  own 
merits  and  possibilities,  so  that  many  of  our  own  people  will  realize  a  little  better 
than  they  do  that  St.  Louis  is,  in  its  own  way,  as  great  a  city  as  any  on  the 
continent." 

"Every  exposition  is  a  great  peace  congress,"  said  Mr.  Francis,  on  another 
occasion,  in  further  explanation  of  his  intense  interest  in  the  World's  Fair.  "Each 
is  another  step  forward  in  the  progress  of  man.  It  is  a  source  of  growing  education 
to  the  human  race,  and  brings  the  civilized  races  closer  together." 

President  Francis  gave  the  years  ot  service  to  the  World's  Fair  without  one 
dollar  of  compensation.  To  the  committee  of  directors  appointed  te  confer  with 
him  on  the  matter  ot  salary,  he  said:  "I  cannot  serve  for  a  commercial  reward, 
but  the  best  in  me  will  be  given  cheerfully  to  promote  the  success  of  the  enterprise 
fraught  with  such  consequence  to  St.  Louis  and  the  country." 

After  a  career  full  of  successful  activities  and  attendant  honors,  what  prompted 
Mr.  Francis  to  accept  the  ambassadorship  to  Russia,  a  charge  by  which,  as  he  said, 
"the  very  hinges  of  my  heart  are  sorely  tried"?  He  had  previously  declined  a 
high  diplomatic  position,  removed,  however,  from  the  European  crises.  He  had 
asked  himself  that  question. 

"The  reply  made  to  myself  is  that  I  consider  the  call  one  of  duty,  to  which  it 
would  be  recreant  not  to  respond.  To  the  many  comforting  remarks  made  to  me 
to  the  effect  that  the  opportunity  is  great  and  should  not  be  permitted  to  pass  by, 
my  response  has  been  and  will  be  that  I  hope  I  may  be  equal  to  rise  to  it. 

"If  my  government,  in  its  wisdom,  calls  me  to  an  important  post,  which  it 
thinks  I  am  competent  to  fill  on  account  of  my  years  or  my  experience  in  domestic 
government,  or  in  national  or  international  commerce,  I  would  be  a  poor  citizen 
indeed  it  I  permitted  personal  interests,  or  friendly  associations,  or  love  ot  ease, 
or  even  ties  of  consanguinity,  to  interfere  or  to  prevent  a  favorable  response  on 
my   part. 

"Fear  ot  jeopardizing  whatever  of  reputation  I  may  have  gained  in  public 
affairs  or  In  commerce  is  not  one  of  my  guides  of  action.  If  it  were  I  should  be  a 
coward,  and  unworthy  of  the  respect  of  my  fellows. 

"To  say  that  I  am  confident  of  being  able  to  discharge  successfully  or  credit- 
ably the  delicate  duties  of  the  position  I  have  accepted  would  be  presuming  indeed, 
but  to  affirm  that  I  approach  such  duties  with  sincerity  of  motive,  and  imbued  with 
an  honest  desire  to  serve  my  country  and  to  promote  the  welfare  ot  humanity,  is 
but  expressing  the  sentiments  ot  one  whose  love  of  his  fellows  increases  as  the 
shadows  lengthen." 

Under  the  monarchy,  through  the  republican  revolution  and  into  the  chaos  ot 
Bolshevism,  Ambassador  Francis  remained  at  his  post  until  five  days  before  the 
armistice  was  signed.  And  then  he  was  carried  on  a  stretcher  by  eight  American 
sailors  aboard  an  American  warship  to  go  to  a  United  States  army  base  hospital. 
During  almost  three  years  in  Russia  the  drafts  on  a  magnificent  physique  had  been 
honored  by  nature.      On  November   6,   1918,   they  went   to  protest. 

As  head  of  the  United  States  Commission,  appointed  by  President  Wilson, 
Charles  R.  Crane  went  to  Russia  in  the  midst  of  revolution  and  counter  revolution. 
When  he  came  back  to  the  United  States,  he  said: 

"If  Francis  was  to  quit  his  post  I  do  not  know  where  in  all  of  the  United 
States  we  would  find  a  man  to  fill  his  place." 

Only  when  the  diplomatic  files  are  opened,  and  the  white  books,  the  red  books, 
the  blue  books  and  those  other  official  publications  ot  confidential  correspondence 
between  nations  appear  will  the  full  measure  of  this  Missourian's  historic  stature 
in  the  World's  war  be  realized  by  his  fellow  citizens.     At  intervals  there  came  out 


'     CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OE  MISSOURI  37 

of  Russia  fragments  of  information,  througii  various  ctiannels,  showing  tliat  lite 
at  tlie  American  embassy  had  been  strenuous.  When  Ambassador  Francis  went 
to  Russia  he  was  accredited  to  a  monarchy  and  held  official  relations  with  the 
government  of  a  czar.  Then  came  revolution,  the  constitutional  assembly,  Kerensky 
and  the  military  regime,  soldiers'  and  sailors'  councils,  Soviets  and  the  Bolsheviki. 
And  later  the  efforts  of  law  and  order  elements,  scattered  and  struggling,  under 
various  leaders  and  names,  to  throw  off  the  demoralizing  influence  of  anarchy. 
Through  all  the  American  Ambassador  stayed  on,  moving  from  place  to  place,  living 
on  trains,  issuing  his  courageous  counsel  to  the  Russian  people,  urging  continuance 
of  alliance  with  the  entente  countries  as  against  the  German  intrigue.  For  weeks 
at  a  time  he  was  without  communication  from  Washington.  Again  and  again  it 
was  left  to  his  discretion  whether  he  should  leave  Russia.  But  not  until  the 
American  embassy  staff  was  reduced  to  fewer  than  half  a  dozen  persons  and  physical 
breakdown  came,  did  the  Ambassador  permit  himself  to  be  taken  away  from  Russia 
on  a  stretcher. 

Stronger  testimony  to  the  importance  of  the  service  Ambassador  Francis  was 
giving  could  not  have  been  contributed  than  the  reply  of  the  administration  at 
Washington  when  Governor  Gardner  telegraphed  his  purpose  to  offer  to  the  am- 
bassador the  United  States  senatorship  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Senator  Stone, 
if  he  could  be  spared  from  the  diplomatic  duty.  The  reply  was  that  it  was  con- 
sidered so  necessary  for  the  ambassador  to  continue  in  Russia,  it  was  impossible 
to  consent  to  the  plan  of  Governor  Gardner. 

Leaving  the  hospital  before  complete  recovery  from  an  operation,  the  am- 
bassador was  in  Paris  during  the  peace  conference  giving  firsthand  testimony  to 
the  false  principles  and  baneful  practices  of  Bolshevism.  He  came  back  to  the 
United  States  to  find  insidiously  spreading  the  doctrines  of  the  internationale.  By 
testimony  before  Congressional  committees,  by  speeches  which  taxed  his  weakened 
system,  by  interviews  in  the  newspapers,  the  ambassador,  still  carried  in  the  diplo- 
matic corps  but  on  the  inactive  list,  which  means  service  without  salary,  maintained 
his  convincing  opposition  to  official  recognition  of  and  to  mistaken  sympathy  with 
Bolshevism. 

In  1876  Mr.  Francis  was  married  in  St.  Louis  to  Miss  Jane  Perry,  a  daughter 
of  John  D.  Perry,  of  St.  Louis,  and  a  lady  whose  social  and  domestic  graces  have 
contributed  not  a  little  to  the  success  of  her  husband.  Their  six  sons  are:  John 
D.  Perry,  David  R.,  Charles  Broaddus,  Talton  Turner,  Thomas  and  Sidney  R. 


FRED  W.  POWERS. 


Fred  W.  Powers,  vice  president  of  the  Moore  &  Mullins  Banking  Company  of  Lin- 
neus,  has  at  different  periods  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Linn  county  and 
in  the  conduct  of  farming  and  other  business  interests,  at  all  times  proving  a  pro- 
gressive citizen  and  one  who  has  made  valuable  contribution  to  the  upbuilding  and 
development  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Linn  county,  his  birth 
having  occurred  May  6.  1841,  on  his  father's  farm  three  miles  north  of  Bucklin,  his  parents 
being  Dr.  John  F.  and  Isabel  (Brownlee)  Powers,  both  of  whom  passed  away  many 
years  ago.  In  the  paternal  line  the  ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  an  old  colonial 
family.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Powers  was  Isaac  Powers,  who  was  born  on  Long  Island, 
New  York,  in  1776,  and  in  early  manhood  removed  to  what  is  now  Mahoning  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  passed  away  in  1863.  He  married  Leah  Frazee,  whose  death  occurred  in 
Mahoning  county  in  1865.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  Fred  W.  Powers  was  the  Rev. 
John  Brownlee,  "a  Presbyterian  clergyman  of  Ayr,  Scotland,  who  there  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  forty-three  years,  while  his  wife  died  in  Linn  county,  Missouri,  about  1842. 

Dr.  John  F.  Powers,  the  father  of  Fred  W.  Powers,  was  born  in  Mahoning  county, 
Ohio,  October  15,  1814,  while  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Ayr,  Scotland,  December  25, 
1815.'  At  an  early  age,  however,  she  left  the  quaint  little  village  made  -immortal  through 
the  poems  of  Burns  and  came  to  the  new  world.  In  Ohio  she  met  Dr.  Powers,  who 
sought  her  hand  in  marriage.  In  1841  they  left  the  Buckeye  state  and  proceeded  down 
the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers  to  Brunswick,  Chariton  county, 
Missouri,  and  from  that  point  journeyed  across  the  country  to  Linn  county.  Throughout 
his  remaining  days  Dr.  Powers  engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  medicine  to  the  last 


38  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

six  months  of  his  lite,  when  he  was  in  the  military  service  of  his  country  as  captain  of 
Company  I,  Forty-second  Missouri  Infantry,  and  while  thus  engaged  he  passed  away  at 
Jefferson  City,  Missouri.  February  20.  1865.  His  wife  survived  him  tor  a  little  more 
than  four  years,  her  death  occurring  April  9,  1869. 

Fred  W.  Powers  was  one  of  a  family  of  five  children  and  was  reared  to  manhood  In 
Linn  county,  beginning  his  education  in  one  of  the  old-time  subscription  schools  near  his 
father's  home.  More  advanced  opportunities  came  to  him  in  later  life.  In  1859  he 
entered  Central  College  at  Fayette.  Missouri,  and  in  1861  became  a  student  in  McGee 
College  at  College  Mound.  Macon  county.  Like  his  honored  father,  he,  too.  entered  the 
military  service  of  his  country,  his  company  becoming  a  part  of  the  Second  Provisional 
Regiment.  Enrolled  Missouri  Militia.  In  the  early  part  of  1864  he  became  second  lieu- 
tenant of  Company  L.  Twelfth  Missouri  Cavalry,  with  which  he  served  to  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Nashville.  Tennessee,  and  other  important 
engagements  and  later  did  work  as  a  builder  of  pontoon  bridges  in  connection  with 
Wilson's  cavalry.  When  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Powers  returned  to  Linn  county  and 
concentrated  his  energies  and  attention  upon  farming  pursuits  until  1871.  In  the  tall 
of  1870  recognition  of  his  ability  and  devotion  to  the  welfare  of  his  community  came  to 
him  in  election  to  the  office  of  circuit  clerk,  which  position  he  filled  for  five  consecutive 
terms — a  fact  that  stands  in  incontrovertible  evidence  of  his  caoability  and  fidelity  in 
office.  In  the  fall  of  1891  he  became  a  resident  of  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  for  two 
years  he  engaged  in  the  abstract  business,  but  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
returned  to  Linn  county  and  for  three  years  continued  in  the  practice  of  law  as  well 
as  in  the  conduct  of  an  abstract  office.  In  1896  he  was  made  cashier  of  the  Moore  & 
MuUins  Banking  Company  of  Linneus  and  continued  to  fill  that  position  until  January, 
1916,  when  he  was  chosen  vice  president  and  remains  in  that  position  to  the  present 
time.  He  likewise  continues  in  the  practice  of  law,  dividing  his  attention' between  the 
profession  and  the  work  of  the  bank. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  1870,  Mr.  Powers  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  L. 
Roberts,  a  daughter  of  Morris  and  Jane  Roberts,  of  Linn  county,  Missouri.  They  became 
the  parents  of  two  children,  of  whom  one  is  living,  Fred  Harold  Powers,  of  Kansas  City. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Powers  is  a  Mason  and  is  also  connected  with  the 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  His  life  has  been  actuated  by 
high  ideals,  prompting  the  most  efficient  service  in  public  office  and  the  utmost  loyalty 
and  honor  in  the  conduct  of  private  business  affairs,  and  thus  it  is  that  he  has  won  and 
enjoyed  the  esteem  and  goodwill  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


HON.  ROLLA  WELLS. 


Hon.  RoUa  Wells  has  long  been  an  outstanding  figure  in  connection  with  the 
banking,  street  railway  and  political  interests  of  St.  Louis.  The  soundness  of  his 
views  on  all  questions  of  public  policy  has  made  him  a  recognized  leader  of  public 
thought  and  action  and  there  has  never  been  any  question  as  to  the  sincerity  of 
his  purpose  and  the  integrity  of  his  views.  He  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
June  1,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  the  Hon.  Erastus  and  Isabella  Bowman  (Henry)  Wells. 
The  father  was  a  prominent  railroad  man  of  Missouri  who  for  more  than  forty  years 
figured  in  the  public  life  of  the  state  and  from  1869  until  1877.  or  for  a  period  of 
four   consecutive   terms,   was   a   member   of   congress. 

In  the  acquirement  of  his  education  RoUa  Wells  attended  Washington  Univer- 
sity of  St.  Louis  and  afterward  Princeton  University  of  New  Jersey.  He  then  entered 
the  offices  of  the  street  railway  company  of  which  his  father  was  president,  but  his 
advancement  was  won  through  individual  merit  and  ability  and  his  developing  powers 
brought  him  to  the  position  of  assistant  superintendent.  In  1879  he  became  general 
manager  of  the  road,  succeeding  A.  W.  Henry,  under -whom  he  had  previously  served. 
He  continued  in  that  position  until  1883  and  in  that  period  brought  about  many 
improvements.  He  then  retired  from  the  railroad  business  in  order  to  take  up 
the  management  of  his  father's  various  business  enterprises  and  was  thus  active  until 
the  death  of  the  father  in  1893.  In  that  year  he  became  the  president  of  the  Ameri- 
can Steel  Foundry  Company  and  as  such  identified  with  one  of  the  important  cor- 
proations  of  the  city.  The  prompt  execution  of  well  formulated  plans  has  been 
one  of  the  strong  elements  in  his  growing  success. 


HON.  ROLLA  WELLS 


THI  KIW  TORI 
PPBLIClIglURY 


AST* ft,  LmiOl  AiV» 
nUIMM  /«l»N»i.T10X» 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  41 

In  St.  Louis,  in  1878,  Mr.  Wells  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jennie  Howard 
Parlier,  who  passed  away  April  8,  1917.  Their  children  are  Mrs.  J.  Clark  Streett, 
Erastus,  Lloyd  Parker,  Mrs.  Tom  K.  Smith  and  Mrs.  Elzey  M.  Roberts.  The  sons  are 
graduates   of   Princeton   University. 

The  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  was  conferred  upon  Mr.  Wells  by  Wash- 
ington University  in  June,  1912,  and  by  Princeton  University  in  June,  1916.  He  Is 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  club  circles  of  St.  Louis,  having  membership  with  the 
University,  St.  Louis,  Racquet,  Noonday,  City,  St.  Louis  Country,  Log  Cabin  and 
Cuivre  Clubs.  He  was  decorated  with  the  Third  Class  Order  of  Red  Eagle  in  1902, 
the  Chinese  Order  of  the  Double  Dragon  and  the  Japanese  Order  of  the  Rising  Sun 
in   1905. 

Mr.  Wells  was  long  a  dominant  figure  in  democratic  circles  in  St.  Louis  and  the 
state.  He  has  taken  keen  interest  in  politics  from  fhe  time  when  age  conferred  upon 
him  the  right  of  franchise.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  democratic  national  convention 
held  in  Indianapolis  in  1896  and  in  the  same  year  became  president  of  the  Sound 
Money  Democratic  Club  of  St.  Louis.  In  the  spring  of  1901  he  was  nominated  for 
mayor  of  the  city  on  the  democratic  ticket  and  was  elected  for  a  four  years'  term, 
and  that  his  administration  was  businesslike,  progressive  and  fraught  with  various 
measures  of  public  improvement  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  was  reelected  for 
the  succeeding  term.  While  he  was  mayor,  every  department  of  the  city  government 
was  placed  on  a  sound  business  basis  and  the  affairs  of  the  municipality  were  in 
excellent  shape  at  the  end  of  his  second  tefm.  In  1912  he  was  treasurer  of  the 
national  democratic  committee,  during  the  first  Wilson  campaign,  and  during  the 
first  campaign  after  the  corrupt  practices  act  was  passed,  which  involved  endless 
details  to  be  kept  of  all  campaign  funds.  He  was  governor  of  the  Federal  Reserve 
Bank  of  St.  Louis  from  October  28,  1914,  to  February  5,  1919,  when  he  resigned  to 
devote  himself  to  his  personal  affairs.  In  April,  1919,  he  was  appointed  receiver  for 
the  United  Railways  Company  »f  St.  Louis.  He  belongs  to  that  class  of  prominent 
business  men  who  recognize  that  life  holds  its  obligations  for  every  individual  in 
the  matter  of  citizenship.  He  feels  that  it  should  be  the  duty  and  the  business  of 
every  man  to  aid  to  the  extent  of  his  ability  in  solving  the  vital  public  problems  that 
are  continually  arising  and  to  render  such  service  in  public  affairs  as  lies  within  his 
power.  When  every  man  does  meet  his  obligations  the  perplexing  questions  of  the 
republic  will  be  solved.     Mr.  Wells  has  set  a  splendid  example   in  tliis  direction. 


HARRY  A.  FRANK. 


Harry  A.  Frank,  member  of  the  bar,  engaged  in  the  general  practice  in  St.  Louis, 
his  native  city,  has  ever  been  actuated  by  a  laudable  ambition  to  progress,  and  it  was 
this  that  caused  him  to  meet  the  entire  expense  of  his  educational  preparation  for  his 
professional  career.  He  was  born  January  1,  1886,  a  son  of  August  and  Anna  (Sears) 
Frank.  The  father,  a  native  of  Germany,  coming  to  the  new  world  when  about  twelve 
years  of  age,  and  the  mother  was  born  on  the  ocean  while  the  parents  were  en  route  to  the 
new  world,  and  comes  of  English  and  Spanish  ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  August  Frank 
were  married  in  St.  Louis,  where  the  mother  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years,  but  the  father  has  passed  away.  In  the  family  were  eight  children,  five  sons  and 
three  daughters,  of  whom  Harry  A.  is  the  youngest.  The  father  was  for  many  years 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars  under  the  name  of  A.  Frank  &  Brother,  maintaining 
an  establishment  at  Carondelet,  the  house  being  recognized  as  an  old  and  reliable  one. 

Harry  A.  Frank,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  in  the  Washington  University,  in  which  he  pursued  his  law  course,  winning 
his  LL.  B.  degree  in  1908.  He  certainly  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  has  accom- 
plished, as  he  met  the  expenses  of  his  entire  course  and  in  his  determined  purpose 
displayed  a  characteristic  that  always  means  well  for  a  successful  future.  He  has  since 
engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  law  and  has  specialized  on  federal  tax  and  income 
matters,  being  now  senior  partner  of  the  iirm  of  Frank  &  Stamm,  a  firm  that  is  enjoying 
a  liberal  clientage.  Mr.  Frank  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Louis  and  American  Bar  Associa- 
tions and  he  enjoys  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  members  of  the  bar,  because 
of  his  close  conformity  of  his  practice  to  the  highest  ethical  and  professional  standards. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1912,  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Frank  was  married  to  Miss  Mabelle 


42  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Schoenfleld,  a  (laughter  of  Louis  and  Alice  Schoenfield.  Mrs.  Frank  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Missouri  University,  in  which  she  won  the  Bachelor  of  Arts  and  Bachelor  of  Science 
degrees  in  1908.  She  taught  in  the  high  school  at  Troy  and  at  Brookfleld,  Missouri, 
making  a  splendid  record  in  the  educational  field.  Her  father  is  the  proprietor  of 
Schoenfield  &  Company,  manufacturers  of  neckties  in  this  city,  and  he  and  his  wife 
still  make  their  home  in  St.  Louis.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  have  one  child,  Richard  Schoen- 
field Frank,  who  was  born  September  12,  1914.  Mrs.  Frank  was  the  secretary  of  the 
Carondelet  Chapter  of  the  Red  Cross.  During  the  war  period  Mr.  Frank  was  one  of  the 
tour-minute  speakers  and  was  also  chairman  of  the  Legal  Advisory  board  of  Division 
No.  12.  Fraternally,  he  is  connected  with  Cache  Lodge,  No.  416,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also 
with  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  his  religious  belief  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  served 
as  secretary  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Carondelet  Presbyterian  church  for  over  ten 
years.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the  West  Presbyterian  church,  and  resides  at  5600  Vernon 
Ave.  In  a  word,  his  life  has  been  actuated  by  high  and  honorable  purposes  and  those 
who  know  him  esteem  him  greatly  as  a  man  and  as  a  citizen,  for  his  professional  col- 
leagues and  contemporaries  bear  testimony  to  his  ability  in  the  line  of  his  chosen  life 
work. 


WILLIAM    C.    SCARRITT. 


William  C.  Scarritt,  lawyer,  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  most  prominent 
and  honored  families  of  Missouri,  his  parents  being  the  Rev.  Nathan  and  Martha 
M.  (Chick)  Scarritt.  Born  on  March  21,  1861,  in  Westport,  which  later  became 
a  part  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  he  has  resided  in  that  city  ever  since.  After  at- 
tending the  public  schools  in  Kansas  City,  he  afterward  attended  Central  College 
at  Fayette,  Missouri,  where  he  was  graduated  with  a  master's  degree  in  the  class 
of  1881.  He  took  his  law  course  in  the  law  school  of  Boston  University,  where 
he  received  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  in  1883,  and  then,  on  the  first  of  July,  1883, 
began  practice  in  Kansas  City  in  association  with  his  brother,  Judge  Edward  L. 
Scarritt,  under  the  firm  style  of  Scai'vitt  &  Scarritt,  a  connection  that  was  main- 
tained for  ten  years,  until  the  elevation  of  his  brother  to  the  bench  of  the  state 
circuit   court. 

William  C.  Scarritt  afterward  practiced  alone  for  three  years,  and  then  organ- 
ized the  firm  of  Scarritt,  Griffith  &  Jones,  of  which  Judge  Scarritt  became  a  member 
upon  his  retirement  from  the  bench  in  1899.  The  members  of  this  firm,  with  the 
exception  of  Mr.  Griflith,  who  died  in  1906,  have  continued  together  in  the  practice 
until  the  present  time,  the  firm  name  having  been  changed,  first  to  Scarritt,  Scarritt 
&   Jones,   then   to   the  present   name   of   Scarritt.   Jones,    Seddon   &   North. 

For  many  years  William  C.  Scarritt  has  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ing members  of  the  Kansas  City  bar,  and  as  one  of  the  ablest  practitioners  before 
the  state  and  federal  appellate  courts.  Devotedly  attached  to  his  profession,  sys- 
tematic and  methodical  in  habit,  sober  and  discreet  in  judgment,  untiring  and 
conscientious  in  caring  for  the  interests  of  his  clients,  and  courteous  and  fair  in 
his  dealings  with  his  adversaries,  these  qualities  served  to  win  for  him  the  respect 
and  high  regard  of  Ihe  bench  and  bar  of  Missouri  and  the  confidence  of  his 
clients.  For  many  years  he  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Kansas  City,  the 
Missouri   State   and   the   American    Bar   Associations. 

Mr.  Scarritt  has  always  taken  an  interest  in  civic  and  political  affairs.  He 
has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Kansas  City  practic- 
ally since  its  organization.  In  politics  he  is  an  earnest  democrat  and  has  done 
much  to  shape  the  policy  of  the  party  in  his  city  and  state.  He  was  one  of  those 
who  performed  the  legal  work  in  connection  with  the  development  of  Kansas  City's 
great  park  system.  Through  appointment  by  Governor  Stephens,  he  served  one 
term  as  police  commissioner  of  Kansas  City,  and  in  1917  he  was  appointed  by  the 
mayor  one  of  a  commission  of  seven  to  draft  a  new  charter  for  Kansas  City. 

In  1884  Mr.  Scarritt  was  married  to  Miss  Prances  V.  Davis,  a  daughter  of 
Temple  Davis,  of  Hannibal,  Missouri,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  four 
children,   William   H.,   Frances  M.,   Arthur   Davis  and   Dorothy  Ann. 

Mr.  Scarritt's  father  was  one  of  the  pioneer  preachers  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal   church.    South,    and    Mr.    Scarritt,    as    a    result    of    his    father's    influence   has 


WILLIAM  C.  SCARRITT 


K<»     \ 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI        .  45 

always  been  an  active  member  of  that  church,  and  has  become  a  dominating  figure 
in  its  affairs.  Since  maturity  he  has  been  one  of  the  board  of  stewards  of  Melrose 
church  in  Kansas  City.  In  1903  he  organized  the  Methodist  Church  Society  of 
Kansas  City,  a  corporation  formed, for  the  purpose  of  promoting  new  church  proj- 
ects, was  elected  its  first  president,  and  has  always  served  as  a  director  and  as 
its  counsel.  In  1892  he  was  elected  a  curator  of  Central  College,  at  Fayette,  Mis- 
souri,   his   alma   mater,   and   has   ever  since   served   in   that   capacity. 

Mr.  Scarritt  has  always  loved  the  state  and  the  city  of  his  birth  and  has  taken 
just  pride  in  being  identified  with  their  development.  Few  lawyers  have  made 
a  more  lasting  impression  on  the  community,  both  for  legal  ability  and  devotion 
to  the  public  welfare. 


WASHINGTON  ADAMS. 


Washington  Adams,  since  1870  a  member  of  the  Kansas  City  bar.  was  born  in  Boon- 
ville,  Missouri,  April  16,  1849.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children  whose  parents 
were  Andrew  and  Sarah  (Flournoy)  Adams.  His  father  was  a  Santa  Fe  trader  who 
went  as  far  south  as  Chihuahua,  Mexico,  and  in  his  business  interests  in  the  southwest 
in  pioneer  times  met  with  gratifying  success,  so  that  in  his  old  age  he  retired  from  active 
life  to  spend  his  remaining  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  well  earned  ease,  surrounded  by 
many  comforts.  He  married  Sarah:  Flournoy,  of  Independence,  Missouri.  Washington 
Adams,  an  uncle  of  Washington  Adams  of  this  review,  was  a  distinguished  Missouri 
lawyer  who  for  many  years  was  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court  and  left  the  impress  of  his 
ability  and  his  individuality  upon  the  judicial  history  of  the  state.  In  the  maternal  line, 
too,  the  ancestors  of  Mr.  Adams  figured  in  connection  with  the  records  of  the  bench  and 
bar,  for  his  mother  was  a  sister  of  Chief  Justice  Boyle,  who  occupied  a  position  upon  the 
court  of  appeals  bench  of  Kentucky  for  a  number  of  years  and  who  refused  an  appoint- 
ment as  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States,  tendered  him  by  President 
Thomas  Jefferson,  and  also  refused  the  same  position  proffered  by  President 
Madison.  John  Boyle  built  his  own  house  in  Kentucky  and  from  it  went  to  congress, 
and  history  records  that  four  members  of  congress  were  elected  while  living  in  that  house. 

Reared  in  his  native  city,  Washington  Adams  whose  name  introduces  this  record, 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  Kemper  School  at  Boonville  and  later  matriculated 
in  vne  University  of  Virginia,  where  he  completed, a  part  of  the  literary  course  and  also 
pursued  the  junior  law  course  with  the  class  of  1869.  He  then  returned  to  Boonville  and 
for  one  year  read  law  under  the  direction  of  his  uncle,  for  whom  he  was  named.  He 
was  then  admitted  to  the  bar  and  in  1870  he  entered  upon  the  active  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Kansas  City.  No  dreary  novitiate  awaited  him,  for  although  advancement 
at  the  bar  is  proverbially  slow,  he  made  steady  progress,  his  powers  developing  through 
the  exercise  of  effort  until  he  found  himself  capable  of  crossing  swords  in  forensic 
combat  with  the  ablest  representatives  of  the  profession  in  Kansas  City.  The  thorough- 
ness with  which  he  prepares  his  cases,  his  clear  and  cogent  statements,  his  logical  deduc- 
tions and  his  convincing  arguments,  have  all  been  potent  factors  in  the  attainment  of 
the  success  which  has  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  among  the  representatives  of  law 
practice  in  Missouri.  Almost  from  the  beginning  he  has  been  accorded  a  distinctively 
representative  clientage  and  several  political  positions  in  the  direct  path  of  his  profes- 
sion have  been  accorded  him  through  popular  suffrage.  In  1874  he  was  elected  city 
attorney  and  the  following  year  was  re-elected.  He  was  twice  appointed  counselor  of 
Kansas  City,  serving  in  1880  and  again  in  1884.  In  1893  he  became  county  counselor  of 
Jackson  county  and  was  continued  in  the  office  through  reappointment  in  1895.  As  county 
counselor  he  insisted  that  every  officer  should  send  quarterly  an  account  of  all  fees 
received  by  him  and  he  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  office  of  county  accountant 
in  order  to  obtain  the  surplus  fees  to  which  the  county  was  entitled.  The  abuse  thus 
exposed  led  to  the  abolition  of  the  fee  system  in  Jackson  county  and  brought  about  a 
gi-eat  saving  to  the  people.  It  has  been  said  of  Mr.  Adams:  "His  is  a  natural  discrimi- 
nation as  to  legal  ethics  and  he  is  so  thoroughly  well  read  in  the  minutiae  of  the  law 
that  he  is  able  to  base  his  arguments  upon  thorough  knowledge  of  and  familiarity  with 
precedents  and  to  present  a  case  upon  its  merits,  never  failing  to  recognize  the  main 
point  at  issue  and  never  neglecting  to  give  a  thorough  preparation.  His  pleas  have  been 
characterized  by  a  terse  and  decisive  logic  and   a   lucid   presentation   rather   than  by 


46  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

heights  of  oratory,  and  his  power  is  the  greater  before  court  or  jury  from  the  fact  that 
it  is  recognized  that  his  aim  ever  is  to  secure  justice  and  not  to  enshroud  the  cause  in  a 
sentimental  garb  or  illusion  which  will  thwart  the  principles  of  right  and  equity 
involved." 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1877,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Adams  and  Miss  Ella 
B.  Lincoln,  of  Clinton  county,  Missouri,  a  daughter  of  John  K.  Lincoln,  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  a  distant  relative  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  They  have  one  son,  John  W.,  who  was 
graduated  from  Harvard  with  tlie  class  of  1904  and  afterward  studied  law,  being  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1908,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  practice  with  his  father. 

Politically  Mr.  Adams  is  a  democrat  who  at  all  times  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
political  issues  and  questions  of  the  day,  yet  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  office, 
outside  of  his  profession  of  law,  for  his  constantly  increasing  professional  duties  make 
steady  demands  upon  his  time  and  energy.  However,  when  America  was  actively  engaged 
in  war  with  Germany  he  supported  every  organized  plan  and  project  for  the  support  of 
the  federal  government  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war  and  in  connection  with  the  allied 
countries.  He  was  counsel  for  the  food  administration  of  Kansas  City,  being  appointed 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  local  food  administrator,  Frank  Dean,  the  appointment  coming 
from  the  state  federal  food  administrator,  F.  D.  Mumtord.  Mr.  Adams  also  served  on  the 
legal  advisory  board  of  Division  No.  13,  of  Kansas  City  and  February  8,  1919,  he  received 
a  letter  and  copy  of  a  resolution  from  the  local  board,  expressing  appreciation  and  thanks 
for  the  valuable  services  rendered  the  selective  service  division  of  the  state  of  Missouri 
during  the  war,  and  also  the  personal  thanks  of  John  A.  Kuetz,  chairman  of  the  board. 
Under  date  of  April  6,  1919.  Mr.  Adams  received  a  letter  from  General  Crowder,  provost 
marshal  general  of  the  United  States,  thanking  him  tor  the  services  rendered  the 
government  in  his  work  as  a  member  of  the  legil  advisory  board  of  Division  No.  13 
of  Kansas  City. 

His  son,  John  W.  Adams,  who,  owing  to  defective  eyesight,  was  unable  to  join  the 
army  as  he  desired,  entered  the  ambulance  service  of  the  Red  Cross  at  Kansas  City  and 
was  sent  to  Camp  Funston.  \Vhile  he  was  there  it  was  decided  to  select  two  out  of  his 
company  for  overseas  service  and  after  special  examination  he  was  one  of  the  two 
selected.  He  was  then  transferred  to  the  infantry  at  Camp  Funston  and  from  there  was 
sent  to  Camp  Green,  North  Carolina,  and  sailed  for  France  in  February,  1918.  He  was 
ordered  for  duty  in  Fi'ance  April  14,  1918,  was  appointed  sergeant  in.  the  intelligence 
department  at  First  Army  Headquarters  Regiment,  under  Colonel  Michael  J.  Healey, 
and  was  stationed  at  Brest  and  Rennes.  After  serving  for  nineteen  months  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  at  Fort  Dodge,  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  October  3,  1919.  Thus  father  and 
son  rendered  most  active  and  valuable  service  to  the  country  and  at  all  times  are  actuated 
by  a  spirit  of  the  utmost  loyalty  and  devotion  to  the  interests  and  welfare  of  city,  com- 
monwealth and  country. 


EDWARD  LAWRENCE  ADREON. 

Throughout  all  the  history  of  the  world  there  have  been  but  one  or  two  indi- 
viduals who  have  been  remembered  because  of  their  great  wealth.  It  is  character 
that  indelibly  impresses  itself  on  the  minds  of  others  and  aids  in  shaping  the  his- 
tory of  each  generation.  Abraham  Lincoln  said:  "There  is  something  better  than 
making  a  living — making  a  life,"  a  truth  which  finds  its  embodiment  in  the  record 
of  Edward  Lawrence  Adreon,  who,  capable  and  efficient  in  public  office,  prominent 
and  successful  in  business,  is  yet  remembered  for  the  countless  good  deeds  which 
he  did — "the  little  ministries  which  fill  the  every  days."  St.  Louis  was  honored 
to  claim  him  as  a  native  son  ant^  one  who  throughout  his  entire  life  remained  a  resi- 
dent of  the  city.  He  was  born  December  23.  1847,  and  passed  away  on  the  29th  of 
December,  1913.  He  was  descended  from  Revolutionary  war  ancestry,  his  grand- 
father. Captain  Christian  Adreon,  having  fought  in  the  war  for  independence,  while 
later  he  served  as  a  captain  in  the  Fifth  Regiment  of  Maryland  during  the  War  of 
1812.  His  father,  Stephen  W.  Adreon,  was  born  in  Baltimore  in  1806  and  was 
liberally  educated,  being  graduated  from  the  University  of  Maryland  with  the 
M.  D.  degree.  In  1831  he  removed  to  St.  Louis  and  after  engaging  for  a  time  in 
commercial  pursuits  took  up  the 'practice  of  medicine,  in  which  he  continued 
throughout  his   remaining   days.      He   was  also   prominent  in   connection   with   civic 


EDWARD   L.   ADREON 


THI  «iW  TfJM 
PUBLIC  L(?.)URV 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  49 

affairs  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  common  council  under  Mayors  Kennett,  King 
and  Filley.  He  was  also  for  a  number  of  years  president  of  the  board  o£  health, 
was  for  two  years  health  officer,  and  during  the  last  year  of  his  life  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  House  of  Refuge  and  ward  physician  for  the  poor 
of  the  eighth  ward.  Death  called  him  December  9,  1S67,  at  which  time  one  of  his 
biographers  wrote  of  him  as  "a  high-minded,  liberal  and  courteous  gentleman,  ever 
ready  to  give  a  willing  ear  and  helping  hand  to  those  who  stood  in  need." 

His  son,  Edward  Lawrence  Adreon.  supplemented  his  public  school  training 
by  study  at  Wyman's  University,  then  called  the  City  University,  displaying  marked 
proficiency  in  mathematics.  At  the  same  time  he  was  very  popular  among  his 
fellow  students.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  entered  the  office  of  the  comptroller 
of  the  city  of  St.  Louis  in  a  clerical  capacity  and  he  there  remained  for  twenty 
years,  filling  the  office  through  varying  political  administrations,  although  he  was 
ever  a  stanch  republican.  When  Comptroller  Kayser,  a  democrat,  resigned  his 
position  on  account  of  ill  health  in  1873  he  presented  to  Mr.  Adreon,  who  was 
then  serving  as  his  deputy,  a  beautiful  silver  salver,  in  the  center  of  which  was 
engraved: 

HENRY  KAYSER  TO  E.  L.  ADREON 

As  a  Token  of  His  Appreciation  of  Fidelity 

In  the  Service  of  the  City 

St.   Louis,   Mo.,   September   10,    1873. 

"Not  a  word  was  said  by  Mr.  Kayser  as  he  handed  the  beautiful  gift  to 
Mr.  Adreon,  but  his  moist  eyes  told  of  a  feeling  which  words  could  not  adequately 
express.  The  latter,  at  once  appreciatin-g  the  sentiment  that  prompted  the  bestowal 
of  the  gift,  found  himself  overcome  by  his  feelings  and  could  only  take  the  proffered 
souvenir  in  silence.     It  was,  however,  a  silence  more  eloquent  than  words." 

Mr.  Adreon  was  retained  by  Captain  Pepper,  the  successor  of  Mr.  Kayser  and 
also  a  democrat,  and  in  1877  he  became  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  comptroller, 
on  which  occasion  a  local  newspaper  wrote:  "Among  the  names  of  suggested  can- 
didates, for  the  comptrollership  none  has  been  better  received  by  republicans  than 
that  of  Mr.  Adreon.  His  familiarity  with  the  duties  of  the  office  and  his  popularity 
with  the  members  of  all  parties  contribute  to  render  him  one  of  the  strongest 
candidates  to  be  presented.  For  comptroller  we  most  heartily  endorse  Mr.  Adreon 
as  the  most  fitting  candidate  for  this  office.  He  has  been  an  attache  of  the  office 
ever  since  a  boy,  being  at  present  deputy,  and  consequently  thoroughly  understands 
all  the  Intricacies  of  the  position.  Mr.  Adreon  is  a  young  man  of  an  unblemished 
reputation  and  is  in  every  way  worthy  of  hearty  endorsement  upon  next  Tuesday. 

"Edward  L.  Adreon  is  a  gentleman  in  every  way  fitted  for  the  office  to  which 
he  has  been  called.  A  twelve  years'  experience  as  a  deputy  in  the  comptroller's 
office  has  given  him  opportunity  to  acquaint  himself  thoroughly  with  the  duties 
required  of  him.  The  comptroller  exercises  a  general  supervision  over  the  fiscal 
affairs  of  the  city,  transacts  all  its  financial  business,  has  access  to  the  books  of  any 
department,  is  ex  officio  a  territorial  member  of  either  house  of  the  assembly  and 
must  be  a  man  of  brains  and  strong  intellect."  Mr.  Adreon  won  the  election  by  a 
handsome  majority  and  when  in  1881  he  became  a  candidate  for  reelection  it  was 
said  of  him:  "The  city  owes  to  Mr.  Adreon  much  of  the  success  due  its  very 
excellent  financial  management,  and  his  experience  and  honesty  eminently  fit  him 
for  the  place."  "Under  his  management  the  city  finances  have  gradually  Improved 
until  they  are  now  in  a  thoroughly  healthy  condition.  The  present  fiscal  year  is  the 
first  one  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  or  more  that  the  city  has  not  had  to  borrow 
money.  I  don't  see  how  the  democrats  are  going  to  improve  on  Mr.  Adreon."  For 
eight  years  Mr.  Adreon  was  continued  in  the  office  of  comptroller  and  a  newspaper 
of  that  period  said:  "There  probably  never  was  a  time  when  the  comptroller  was 
surrounded  by  greater  difficulties  and  embarrassments  than  during  the  past  fiscal 
year,  and  yet  Mr.  Adreon,  the  comptroller,  presents  a  better  financial  showing  than 
any  of  his  predecessors.  Instead  of  deficiencies,  as  reported  by  nearly  every 
comptroller  for  ten  years  past,  Mr.  Adreon  has  not  only  confined  the  expenditures 
within  the  revenue,  but  shows  a  surplus  and  a  financial  condition  of  the  city  hereto- 
fore unprecedented."  In  this  connection  it  has  also  been  written:  "Altogether 
he  was  for  twenty  years  in  the  comptroller's  office — twelve  years  as  clerk  and  eight 
as  comptroller.     When  we  consider  that  he  entered  the  office  at  the  age  of  eighteen 

Vol.  Ill— 1 


50  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

and  left  it  at  thirty-eight,  we  marvel  that  so  young  a  man  should  perform  such  a 
tremendous  amount  of  work  with  such  marked  ability  and  wisdom.  Not  only  was 
he  the  youngest  comptroller  the  city  has  had,  but  he  was  confronted  by  a  com- 
plexity of  affairs  greater  than  ever  faced  by  any  incumbent  before  or  since.  By 
the  separation  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis  from  the  county  of  St.  Louis  and  the  adop- 
tion of  a  new  charter  in  1S76,  the  functions  of  the  comptroller  were  greatly  enlarged 
and  extended.  The  changes  involved  in  the  deputies  of  the  various  city  officials 
under  the  new  charter  were  rather  confusing  to  all.  and  Mr.  Adreon  had  to  straighten 
out  the  tangles  and  set  the  new  machinery  in  running  order.  In  all  this  work  of 
reorganization  he  displayed  consummate  administrative  and  executive  ability. 

"He  was  always  on  the  lookout  for  betterments  in  the  manner  of  handling  the 
city's  finances.  He  made  new  rules  for  expediting  the  payment  of  claims  against 
the  city;  set  in  operation  measures  against  tax  dodgers;  drew  up  a  bill  in  1879 
which  provided  that,  'for  the  purpose  of  state,  county  and  municipal  taxation,  mer- 
chandise held  by  merchants  and  the  raw  material,  finished  products,  tools,  machinery 
and  appliances  used  by  manufacturers  shall  constitute  a  class  separate  and  distinct 
by  itself,  and  all  counties,  cities  and  towns  in  the  state,  for  local  purposes,  are 
hereby  authorized  to  license,  tax  and  regulate  the  occupation  of  merchants  and 
manufacturers,  and  may  graduate  the  amount  of  annual  license  imposed  upon  the 
occupation  of  a  merchant  or  manufacturer  in  proportion  to  the  sales  made  by  such 
merchant  or  manufacturer  during  the  year  next  preceding  any  fixed  date.'  He 
visited  Jefferson  City  and  made  an  address  before  the  joint  committee  on  ways  and 
means  of  the  legislature,  in  which  by  the  clearest  arguments  he  urged  the  passage 
of  the  bill.  It  is  stated  that  it  was  largely  through  his  efforts  that  the  bill  became 
a  law,  and  thus  a  most  important  advance  was  made  in  the  ethics  of  taxation." 

It  was  while  he  was  still  serving  in  a  clerical  capacity  in  the  office  of  the 
comptroller  that  Mr.  Adreon  was  married  on  the  23d  of  December,  1871,  to  Miss 
Josephine  L.  Young,  then  of  St.  Louis,  who  was  born  in  Allegheny  City,  Pennsyl- 
vania, July  19,  1844,  and  passed  away  December  21,  1911.  Three  children  were 
born  to  them:  Edward  L.,  Jr.,  who  was  born  October  14,  1872,  and  died  November 
18,  1913;  Josephine  May.  who  was  born  May  3,  1874,  and  died  July  25,  1895;  and 
Robert  Enos,  who  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  American  Brake  Company  and  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  work. 

After  retiring  from  the  comptroller's  oflnce  Mr.  Adreon  spent  two  years  as 
advisor  to  several  industrial  companies.  On  the  4th  of  April,  1887,  he  became 
connected  with  the  American  Brake  Company  as  its  secretary  and  treasurer.  He 
bent  his  energies  to  a  mastery  of  every  detail  of  the  business  as  well  as  its  more 
important  features  and  he  became  successively  general  manager,  then  vice  president 
and  general  manager,  and  on  the  30th  of  November,  1910,  was  succeeded  in  the 
ofl^ce  of  general  manager  by  his  son  Robert,  while  Mr.  Adreon  retained  the  vice 
presidency    until   his   demise. 

Mr.  Adreon  combined  in  a  most  eminent  degree  all  the  qualities  necessary  to 
the  successful  manager.  In  addition  to  his  thoroughness,  his  insistence  on  prompt 
and  correct  work,  he  had  the  human  qualities  that  endeared  him  to  his  subordi- 
nates: geniality,  kindness,  magnanimity.  He  inspired  men  with  enthusiasm  and 
loyalty.  In  addition  to  Mr.  Adreon's  duties  as  vice  president  and  general  manager 
of  the  American  Brake  Company,  he  was  also  for  many  years  southwestern  manager 
of  the  Westinghouse  Air  Brake  Company,  which  position  he  also  held  until  his 
death.  His  dealings  with  the  patrons  of  the  company  were  always  marked  by 
fairness  and  liberality  and  the  good  impression  thus  made  on  the  railroads  and 
locomotive  companies  of  the  country  continues  to  this  day  a  business  asset  beyond 
computation.  Without  in  the  least  disparaging  the  able  labors  of  others,  it  must  be 
set  down  as  a  fact  that  to  Mr.  E.  L.  Adreon  more  than  to  any  other  man  is  due 
the  success  and  present  high  standing  of  the  American  Brake  Company.  For  a 
quarter  of  a  century  he  was  with  it  as  its  guiding  spirit;  to  it  he  gave  the  best 
endeavors  of  his  life,  and  it  stands  a  living  monument  to  his  genius,  energy  and 
devotion. 

All  through  the  long  years  in  which  Mr.  Adreon  was  proving  so  important  a 
factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  business  of  the  American  Brake  Company  he  never 
lost  his  keen  interest  in  civic  affairs  and  in  many  ways  contributed  to  the  welfare, 
upbuilding  and  betterment  of  St.  Louis,  doing  important  committee  work  in  con- 
nection with  various  civic  organizations  to  which  he  belonged.  He  was  a  ihember 
of  the  city  lighting  committee  of  the  Civil  League;   a  member  of  the  committee  on 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  51 

outer  park  boulevard  system,  vice  president  from  Missouri  of  the  Trans-Mississippi 
Congress;  member  of  the  advisory  board  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  National 
Irrigation  Association  of  the  Missouri  Section;  member  of  the  Business  Men's 
League's  committees  on  transportation  and  taxation,  and  a  delegate  to  the  deep 
waterway  convention  in  St.  Louis.  In  1909  he  was  called  upon  to  give  expert  opinion 
to  the  board  of  freeholders  elected  to  revise  the  city  charter.  He  explained  the 
system  of  checks  and  balances  then  in  use  in  the  offices  of  comptroller,  treasurer 
and  auditor,  which  he  had  devised  during  his  incumbency  in  the  first  mentioned 
office  and  which  was  termed  by  Statistician  W.  J.  Barrow  of  the  United  States 
Census  Bureau  "the  best  of  any  city  in  the  country." 

Mr.  Adreon's  public  and  business  activities,  which  were  of  great  value  to  the 
city,  were  supplemented  by  a  nobility  of  character  that  won  for  him  the  confidence 
and  love  of  all  who  knew  him.  While  he  displayed  great  force  and  determination, 
he  also  showed  extreme  kindliness  and  gentleness  and  his  ready  smile  bespoke  his 
geniality.  His  conversation  was  as  instructive  as  it  was  delightful.  His  pleasant 
disposition,  his  animation  and  the  charm  of  his  personality  impressed  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  He  was  an  adept  in  judging  human  nature;  he  intuitively  per- 
ceived and  was  constitutionally  hostile  to  all  forms  of  wrong-doing  and  yet  the  sun- 
shine of  his  optimism  was  such  that  it  illumined  and  set  in  relief  the  best  traits 
in  all  whom  he  met.  His  love  of  mankind  is  well  illustrated  in  verses  which  were 
found  upon  his  desk  after  his  death. 

TRUST 

"When  your  brother  man  you  measure, 

Take  him  at  his  best; 
Something  in  him  you  can  treasure. 

Overlook   the   rest. 
Though,  of  his,  some  trait  or  fetter 
May  not  suit  you  to  the  letter, 
Trust   him — it   will   make   him   better; 

Take  him  at  his  best. 

Praise  will  make  him  worth  the  praising; 

Take  him  at  his  best. 
Keep  the  fire  of  purpose  blazing 

Ever    in    his    breast. 
Do  not  frown  upon  nor  scold  him. 
In  the  strength  of  faith  enfold  him; 
To  his  highest  yearnings  mold  him; 

Take  him  at  his  best." 

In  resolutions  adopted  by  the  board  of  directors  of  the  American  Brake  Com- 
pany the  organization  bore  testimony  to  his  business  ability  in  the  words:  "To  an 
unusual  degree  the  success  of  the  company  has  been  built  upon  his  ability,  integrity, 
courtesy  and  kindliness.  *  *  i"  It  has  been  said  that  our  organization  has  been 
peculiarly  unique  in  that  we  have  had  associated  with  our  various  activities,  from 
time  to  time,  many  men  of  great  capacity  and  resource  with  exceptional  qualities 
of  mind  and  heart.  There  can  be  no  better  illustration  of  the  truth  of  this  state- 
ment than  Mr.  Adreon's  life  and  character,  which  has  been  a  constant  inspiration 
to  all  his  associates.  With  a  charming  personality  he  combined  a  kindly  shrewd- 
ness with  a  warm  breadth  of  vision,  and  with  large  business  capacity  a  dominating 
Integrity  and  a  sense  of  fair  dealing  which  not  only  established  him  as  a  successful, 
man  of  large  affairs  throughout  a  long  life  but  endeared  him  to  thousands  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact." 

In  its  memorial  the  Missouri  Chapter  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution 
bore  testimony  to  his  splendid  citizenship  as  follows:  "St.  Louis,  the  city  of  his 
birth,  and  where  he  resided  during  the  entire  period  of  his  long  and  useful  life, 
mourns  him  as  a  citizen  beyond  reproach,  a  civic  officer  of  great  service,  a  man  of 
business  of  incorruptible  integrity  and  a  lover  of  life  and  nature  in  their  sincerest 
and  purest  forms.  To  the  members  of  the  Missouri  Chapter  he  was  always  the  true 
friend,  the  wise  counselor,  the  dignified  yet  cordial  companion,  the  model  patriot. 


OS 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


His  devotion  to  tlie  principles  of  our  society  was  real,  hearty  and  continuous,  the 
ever  inspiring  example  of  patriotic  sentiment  and  endeavor." 

In  his  funeral  address  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  J,  Niccolls  said;  "It  was  my 
privilege  to  know  Mr.  Adreon  under  circumstances  that  revealed  his  inmost  nature 
to  me.  It  was  in  the  intimacies  that  grew  up  around  the  camp  fire  and  were 
nourished  by  silent  watches  in  the  great  wilderness,  that  1  came  to  have  th-e  truer 
and  larger  knowledge  of  him  whom  I  called  my  friend.  Under  such  conditions 
men  lay  aside  the  restraints  that  custom  and  the  formalities  of  life  place  upon  them 
and  reveal  their  true  selves.  I  found  in  him  an  unselfish  soul,  not  ambitious  for  pre- 
ferment, but  only  desirous  of  rendering  obedience  to  the  right  as  he  saw  it.  He 
had  visions  of  the  future  and  of  duty  which  were  at  once  purifying  and  quickening 
to  the  soul.  He  was  a  man  strangely  without  guile  and  envy,  full  of  sympathy  for 
others  who  were  beaten  down  in  life's  struggles,  yet  clear  ai\d  positive  in  his  condem- 
nation of  unrighteousness.  He  was  loyal  in  friendship  and  had  a  profound  abhor- 
rence of  ingratitude.  Quiet  and  unobtrusive  in  disposition  and  seeking  no  honors 
for  himself,  the  character  that  formed  within  him  drew  to  him  the  attention  and  con- 
fidence of  others. 

So  it  was  that  in  a  time  of  confusion  and  financial  distress  in  the  affairs  of  our 
city,  he  was  chosen  as  the  one  best  qualified  to  bring  order  out  of  contusion  and  to 
restore  public  confidence.  Some  of  you  here  today  can  remember  a  very  dark 
period  in  the  financial  affairs  of  our  city,  when  dishonesty  and  peculation  had  wasted 
its  financial  resources  and  when  Us  accounts  were  in  such  confusion  that  there 
was  suspicion,  distress  and  apprehension  for  the  future.  It  was  at  this  juncture 
of  affairs  that  Mr.  Adreon  was  called  to  the  position  of  comptroller,  and  such  was 
his  ability  and  such  the  manifest  integrity  of  his  character  that  very  soon  the  dis- 
order was  brought  to  an  end  and  public  confidence  restored.  So  faithfully  and  effect- 
ively did  he  discharge  the  duties  of  his  responsible  office  that  he  was  reelected  to  it. 
A  third  term  was  offered  him,  but  this  he  declined  that  he  might  enter  upon  private 
business.  Havin^g  devoted  so  many  years  tor  the  advancement  of  public  welfare,  he 
felt  that  it  was  a  duty  which  he  owed  to  his  family  to  provide  for  their  maintenance 
and  their  future  support.  All  of  his  business  affairs  were  characterized  by  the  same 
unfaltering  integrity.  The  modest  fortune  which  he  acquired  had  on  it  no  stain  of 
dishonesty.  No  ill-gotten  gains  came  into  his  treasury  or  helped  to  swell  his  for- 
tune. It  is  no  small  praise  to  a  man  struggling  in  the  midst  of  the  temptations  of 
t^is  life  that  he  has  secured  the  reputation  for  spotless  integrity  and  has  merited 
the  confidence  of  his  fellowmen. 

"There  is  much  that  I  might  say  with  reference  to  the  loving  relations  of  his 
life  in  his  family  and  in  the  inner  circle  of  his  friends,  but  from  these  things  1 
need  not  lift  the  veil.  It  is  pleasant  to  remember  the  life  that  he  lived  and  yet 
the  song  of  memory — sing  it  as  we  will — has  in  its  minor  strains  that  move  our  hearts 
to  sadness.  We  shall  miss  his  sweet  and  strengthening  fellowship,  but  we  thank 
God  for  the  life  that  he  lived  among  his  fellowmen." 


ROBERT   EXOS   ADREON. 


Robert  Enos  Adreon,  president  and  general  manager  of  the  American  Brake 
Company  of  St.  Louis  and  also  identified  with  various  other  prominent  manufactur- 
ing interests,  was  born  November  1,  1876,  in  the  city  where  he  still  resides  and  in 
which  he  has  spent  his  entire  life,  his  parents  being  Edward  Lawrence  and  Jose- 
phine M.  (Young)  Adreon.  The  mother,  who  was  born  in  Allegheny  City,  Penn- 
sylvania, died  December  21,  1911,  while  the  father  passed  away  December  29,  1913. 
Extended  mention  of  them  is  made  on  another  page  of  this  work,  for  he  was  one 
of  the  representative  business  men,  capable  public  officials  and  honored  citizens  of 
St.  Louis,  who  left  an  indelible  impress  for  good  upon  the  history  of  the  city. 

Robert  E.  Adreon.  after  attending  the  public  schools,  continued  his  educa- 
tion in  Smith  Academy  of  St.  Louis  and  then  went  to  La  Fayette,  Indiana,  where 
he  matriculated  in  Purdue  University,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1902  with 
the  degree  of  Mechanical  Engineer.  Immediately  following  his  graduation  he 
accepted  a  position  as  chief  draughtsman  with  the  Imperial  Electric  Light  &  Power 
Company  of  St.  Louis,  which  was  later  absorbed  by  the  Union  Electric  Light  & 
Power  Company.     In   1903   he  became  connected  with   the  Westinghouse  Automatic 


ROBERT  E.  ADREON 


THI  NIW  TORI 
!*OiLiCLI?.RARY 


nUICN  /•aNBA.TlOKft 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  55 

Air  and  Steam  Coupler  Company,  and  his  expanding  business  powers,  initiative 
and  efficiency  made  him  successively  mechanical  engineer,  general  manager,  a 
director,  vice  president  and  ultimately  president  o£  that  company.  In  1908  he 
entered  the  employ  ot  the  firm  of  Westinghouse,  Church.  Kerr  &  Company,  con- 
tracting and  consulting  engineers  with  their  principal  offices  in  New  York  city. 
In  1911  Mr.  Adreon  was  elected  assistant  general  manager  of  the  American  Brake 
Company,  and  thoroughly  acquainting  himself  with  every  phase  ot  this  business, 
he  has  come  more  and  more  largely  into  positions  of  administrative  direction  and 
executive  control.  He,  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  general  manager,  after- 
ward became  vice  president  and  general  manager  and  on  the  10th  of  April,  1919, 
when  the  board  of  directors  met  to  elect  officers  he  was  chosen  president  and  gen- 
eral manager.  He  is  likewise  a  director  of  the  Safety  Car  Device  Company,  of 
the  National  Brake  and  Electric  Company  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  and  many  other 
prominent  manufacturing  interests  of  St.  Louis  and  other  cities. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  1914,  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Adreon  was  married  to  Miss 
Grace  Valle  Price,  who  is  a  granddaughter  of  Dr.  McPheeters,  a  well  known  phy- 
sician of  this  city.  They  now  have  one  child.  Marguerite  McPheeters  Adreon, 
born  November  11,  1919.  The  religious  faith  of  the  parents  is  that  of  the  Epis- 
copal church,  their  membership  being  in  the  Church  of  the  Ascension. 

Mr.  Adreon  was  a  member  of  the  officers  training  camp  at  St.  Louis  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  World  war.  His  political  allegiance  has  always  been  given  to  the 
republican  party  and  while  he  has  never  sought  or  held  political  office,  he  has 
cooperated  with  many  interests  of  vital  importance  in  municipal  affairs,  serving 
on  several  of  the  committees  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  which  are  working 
for  civic  advancement  and  uplift,  also  serving  as  chairman  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Grant^Dent  Memorial  Association.  He  belongs  as  well  to  the  Mis- 
souri Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  of  which  he  has  been  the 
president,  and  he  has  membership  with  Sigma  Chi,  a  college  fraternity.  He  is 
equally  well  known  in  club  circles,  having  connection  with  the  Missouri  Athletic 
Association,  the  Noonday  Club,  St.  Louis  Club,  the  University  Club  and  the 
Bellerive  Country  Club,  being  a  director  of  the  last  named.  In  December,  1919, 
he  was  elected  director  of  the  Mercantile  Trust  Company,  and  in  February,  1920, 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  governors  of  St.  Louis  Arc  League.  He 
is  spoken  of  as  "a  man  who  possesses  the  same  fine  qualities  as  his  father;  very 
energetic  and  progressive;  very  considerate  of  others;  broad  in  his  views;  a  man 
who    will   add    luster    to    the    family    name;    a    man    of    marked    ability." 


ROSCOE  E.  GOODDING. 


Roscoe  E.  Goodding,  president  of  the  Bank  of  La  Plata  at  La  Plata,  Missouri,  has 
spent  his  entire  lite  in  Macon  county,  having  been  born  on  a  farm  in  Lyda  township, 
March  10,  1875,  his  parents  being  John  B.  and  Malissa  J.  Goodding.  Reared  in  La  Plata, 
he  attended  the  public  schools  and  completed  an  academic  education  in  the  Missouri 
Valley  College  at  Marshall.  When  his  textbooks  were  put  aside  he  secured  the  position 
of  deputy  county  clerk  in  the  office  of  his  father,  thus  initiating  his  active  career  after 
leaving  school.  Later  he  was  appointed  to  the  position  of  assistant  cashier  of  the  Bank 
of  La  Plata,  a  position  which  he  filled  until  1903,  when  he  was  advanced  to  that  of 
cashier.  In  1919  he  was  elected  to  the  presidency  of  the  institution  and  is  now  the 
chief  executive  head,  giving  his  attention  to  constructive  effort  and  administrative 
direction.  His  efforts  have  been  a  strong  feature  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  institution 
and  the  development  and  improvement  of  business  conditions  throughout  the  community. 
Recognizing  fully  just  what  a  bank  can  do  in  the  way  of  upbuilding  the  district  and 
maintaining  a  position  of  public  leadership,  Mr.  Goodding  and  his  associates  have  done 
everything  in  their  power  to  further  development  and  progress  and  at  the  same  time 
have  most  carefully  directed  the  growth  of  their  own  bank  and  placed  it  upon  the  roll 
of  honor,  such  a  bank  being  one  that  possesses  surplus  and  profits  in  excess  of  capital, 
thus  giving  tangible  evidence  of  strength  and  security.  Of  the  twenty-five  thousand 
banks  in  the  United  States  only  one  in  ten  occupies' this  proud  position  and  the  BanU 
of  La  Plata  has  reason  to  be  congratulated  upon  maintaining  a  place  in  the  front  rank. 
Its  capital  stock  is  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,   its   surplus   is  of  equal  amount  and 


56  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

its  deposits  have  reached  more  than  three  hundred  and  eighteen  thousand  dollars. 
A  contemporary  biographer  has  said  of  Mr.  Goodding  and  his  business  activities:  "There 
are  men  who  can  put  into  the  tamest  monotony  of  daily  toil  a  spirit  of  life  and  energy 
that  creates  event  and  incident  and  makes  the  progi-ess  of  the  work  a  march  of  triumph. 
Mr.  Goodding  is  one  of  these.  Without  aiming  to  do  anything  startling  or  spectacular, 
he  sees  unsuspected  possibilities  around  him  and  puts  his  forces  in  motion  to  make 
the  most  of  them.  He  has  originality  in  initiative  and  method  and  makes  it  serviceable 
to  the  bank  in  increasing  the  volume  of  its  business  and  the  measure  of  its  usefulness. 
Under  his  vigorous  and  enterprising  management  it  has  grown  rapidly  in  the  extent 
of  its  operations  and  the  spread  and  the  elevation  of  its  reputation  and  influence  in 
the  financial  world.  It  is  now  considered  one  of  the  best  directed  and  most  progressive, 
as  well  as  one  of  the  soundest  financial  Institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  state,  and  is  on  the 
way  to  still  gi-eater  achievements  and  higher  standing." 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1906,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  R.  E.  Goodding 
and  Miss  Bessie  Williams,  a  native  of  La  Plata.  His  political  allegiance  Is  given  to  the 
democratic  party  and  he  is  a  firm  believer  in  its  principles,  but  has  never  been  an  ofBce 
seeker.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  also 
has  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  Church — associations  that  indicate  the  nature  of 
his  interests  and  the  rules  which  govern  his  conduct.  His  has  been  a  well  spent  life, 
fruitful  of  good  results  for  the  material,  intellectual  and  moral  progress  of  his  com- 
munitv. 


FESTUS    J.   WADE. 


There  may  be  those  who  look  with  envious  eyes  at  Festus  J.  Wade,  president 
of  the  Mercantile  Trust  Company  of  St.  Louis,  but  they  are  only  such  as  have  not 
manhood  enough  to  acknowledge  their  own  deficiency,  tor  it  is  through  effort  and 
diligence  that  Mr.  Wade  has  become  an  outstanding  figure  in  the  financial  circles 
of  his  city.  His  educational  advantages  were  less  than  most  boys  enjoy;  no  oppor- 
tunity came  to  him  save  that  which  he  sought  and  no  promotion  save  that  which 
he  won.-  He  was  only  eleven  years  of  age  when  he  started  out  to  make  his  way 
In   the  world   and   from   that    time   he   has   depended    upon   his   own   resources. 

He  was  born  in  Limerick,  Ireland,  October  14,  1859,  a  son  of  Thomas  and 
Catherine  (McDonough)  Wade,  who  sought  to  instill  into  the  minds  of  their  children 
principles  which  would  prove  of  value  to  them  throughout  life.  The  family  home 
was.  established  in  St.  Louis  in  1860  and  in  1870  Festus  .lohn  Wade  obtained  a  posi- 
tion as  cash  boy  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  D.  Crawford  &  Company.  His  limited 
education  barred  him  from  many  positions  that  a  lad  of  more  liberal  training  could 
have  filled.  In  those  early  days  he  was  a  clerk  in  an  oil  store,  was  employed  in  a 
photographic  studio,  worked  as  water  boy  In  connection  with  the  building  of  the 
railroad  tunnel  along  Washington  avenue  and  was  a  clerk  in  a  Franklin  avenue 
store.  When  fourteen  years  of  age  he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  but  three  months'  work  of  that  character  convinced  him  that  It  was  not 
the  calling  for  which  nature  intended  him.  He  afterward  drove  a  cart  while  looking 
for  something  better  and  in  the  season  of  1874  worked  at  the  St.  Louis  fair.  At  its 
close  he  entered  a  safe  manufactory  and  during  the  next  season  drove  an  Ice  wagon. 
When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  began  manufacturing  elder  on  his  own  account, 
but  the  enterprise  did  not  prove  successful  and  he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  and 
paymaster  with  a  contractor  on  the  Wabash  Railroad.  In  the  summer  of  1876  he 
drove  one  of  Green's  sprinkling  carts  and  afterward  became  a  street  car  driver  on 
the  old  Northwestern  line,  which  later  became  the  Mound  City,  the  property  which 
John  Scullin  and  James  Campbell  developed  into  a  part  of  the  great  street  railway 
system  of  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Scullin  is  now  one  of  the  directors  of  the  trust  company, 
the  presidency  of  which  is  today  occupied  by  his  former  driver  of  a  bobtail  street 
car.  Such  are  the  changes  which  can  be  wrought  In  the  business  life  of  the  new 
world,  where  opportunity  is  not  hampered  by  caste  or  class. 

Through  summer  seasons  Mr.  Wade  was  employed  at  the  fair  grounds  until 
■1878  and  was  then  given  a  permanent  place  In  the  city  offices  of  the  Fair  Association 
and  was  gradually  advanced  to  the  secretaryship.  It  was  about  this  time,  when  he 
was  twenty  years  of  age,  that  he  realized  the  necessity  of  further  educational  train- 


FESTUS   J.   WADE 


fUBUCLllKARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  59 

ing  and  spent  four  years  as  a  student  in  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College, 
acquainting  himself  with  various  branches  of  learning  that  qualify  the  youth  for 
successes  in  the  business  world.  From  that  time  forward  his  advancement  has  been 
continuous.  In  April,  1883,  he  was  elected  secretary  of  the  St.  Louis  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  Association  as  the  successor  of  G.  0.  Kalb,  who  had  occupied  the 
position  tor  twenty-seven  years.  Recognizing  that  he  could  advance  no  farther  with 
that  company,  Mr.  Wade  then  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years  formed  a  business 
connection  with  the  August  Gast  Lithographing  Company,  but  again  he  found  that 
he  had  entered  a  field  in  which  his  native  powers  and  talents  could  not  be  developed. 
He  then  entered  into  the  real  estate  business  with  Lorenzo  E.  Anderson  and  here  he 
found  a  field  where  his  efforts  counted  for  substantial  results.  He  organized  realty 
companies  and  erected  office  buildings,  hotels,  mercantile  and  industrial  structures 
to  the  number  of  more  than  half  a  hundred.  With  the  development  of  the  real 
estate  business  it  naturally  followed  that  the  Mercantile  Trust  Company  was  organ- 
ized by  Mr.  Wade,  the  organization  being  effected  in  1899.  From  the  beginning  the 
new  corporation  was  recognized  as  a  forceful  factor  in  the  business  life  of  the  city  and 
has  long  figured  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  financial  concerns.  The  notable  success 
which  Mr.  Wade  achieved  in  that  connection  led  to  his  being  named  as  chairman 
of  the  committee  on  ways  and  means  for  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  Com- 
pany, and  recognizing  the  need  for  larger  and  better  hotels  at  the  time  of  the  exposi- 
tion, he  became  one  of  the  builders  of  the  Jefferson  Hotel. 

There  was  a  long  period  in  which  his  business  'career  seemed  in  the  experimental 
stage,  but  when  once  he  had  entered  real  estate  and  financial  circles  he  made  most 
rapid  progress,  calling  forth  his  powers  of  organization  and  initiative,  displaying 
marked  enterprise  and  originality  in  his  business  methods  and  never  losing  sight  of 
a  plan  till  it  was  brought  to  successful  completion.  A  contemporary  writer  has 
said  of  him:  "Somebody  asked  Festus  J.  Wade  one  day  what  his  theory  of  banking 
was.  His  answer  was:  'To  get  in  every  dollar  I  can  and  make  it  earn  as  much  as 
it  will  with  perfect  security.'  The  answer  was  characteristic  of  the  man's  straight- 
forward, clean-cut  ways  of  managing  the  business.  The  faculty  of  doing  everything 
in  the  quickest  and  easiest  way,  which  Mr.  Wade  comes  by  naturally  and  which  he 
applies  to  financial  affairs  great  and  small,  was  illustrated  when  the  East  St.  Louis 
Trust  &  Savings  Bank  was  established.  Mr.  Wade  had  been  one  of  the  managing 
spirits  in  that  organization.  The  day  had  been  set  for  the  opening.  The  capital  as 
subscribed  had  been  paid  into  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce  while  the  subscrip- 
tions were  being  collected.  Mr.  Wade  went  to  the  bank,  drew  out  the  capital — two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars — for  the  new  institution  in  large  bills.  He  placed 
the  bills  in  the  inside  pocket  of  his  coat  and  left  the  bank.  Entirely  alone  he  walked 
to  the  Eads  bridge  and  got  on  a  street  car.  When  he  reached  the  Illinois  side  he 
traversed  several  blocks  to  the  location  of  the  new  bank  and  handed  the  money  to 
the  cashier.  It  never  seemed  to  occur  to  him  that  there  was  anything  unusual  in 
carrying  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  in  his  coat  pockets  through  the  streets  and 
across  the  bridge  without  escort  or  weapon." 

Not  only  has  Mr.  Wade  figured  prominently  as,  the  president  of  the  Mercantile 
Trust  Company  but  has  also  been  a  director  of  the  Metropolitan  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, the  North  American  Company,  the  Frisco  Railroad  and  the  Scullin  Steel  Com- 
pany. In  1914  he  organized  a  hundred-million-dollar  cotton  pool  in  order  to  stabilize 
prices  of  cotton  and  save  the  south.  In  May,  1920,  he  was  elected  director  of  the 
Cleveland,   Cincinnati,   Chicago  and    St.   Louis   Railway   Company    (Big   Four). 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1883,  Mr.  Wade  was  married  to  Miss  Kate  V.  Kennedy 
and  to  them  have  been  born  four  children:  Stella  Marie,  who  is  now  the  widow  of 
Charles  L.  Scullin  and  the  mother  of  one  child;  Marie  L.,  the  wife  of  C.  Sewell  Thomas, 
a  civil  engineer  of  St.  Louis;  Florence  J.,  at  home;  and  Festus  J.,  who  is  a  student 
at  Yale  University.     The  religious  faith  of  the  family   is  that  of  the  Catholic   church. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Wade  became  a  leading  member  in  one  of  the  great  Catholic 
temperance  organizations  of  the  city — the  Knights  of  Father  Matthew,  of  which  he 
was  supreme  secretary.  He  belongs  to  the  St.  Louis,  Commercial,  Noonday,  Country 
and  Log  Cabin  Clubs  of  St.  Louis  and  the  Bankers  Club  of  New  York.  At  the  time 
of  the  World  war  he  became  a  director  of  the  War  Savings  and  Thrift  Stamps  cam- 
paigns and  was  a  member  of  the  advisory  committee  of  the  finance  section  of  the 
United  States  Railroad  Administration.'  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  St.  Louis  Chapter  of  the  Red  Cross.  He  has  ever  made  his  wealth  a 
source  of  benefit  to  his  fellows  and  nothing  is  foreign  to  his  interests  that  promotes 


60  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OE  AIISSOURI 

the  welfare  of  mankind.  Charles  Sumner  has  said,  "Peace  hath  its  victories  no  less 
renowned  than  war,"  and  no  discerning  person  can  read  the  record  of  Festus  J.  Wade 
without  feeling  a  thrill  over  the  conquests  which   he  has   won. 


AUGUST  M.  BRINKMAN. 


August  M.  Brinkman,  who  is  engaged  in  law  practice,  with  offices  in  the  Title 
Guaranty  building  of  St.  Louis,  in  which  city  he  was  born  October  21,  1890,  is  a  son  of 
Emil  A.  Brinkman,  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  who  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  in  the  service  of  the  government.  He  wedded  Miss  Elise  Kohring,  their  marriage 
being  celebrated  on  the  5th  of  November,  1889,  in  St.  Louis.  To  them  were  born  two 
children,  the  younger  being  a  daughter,  Jeanette.  who  is  now  a  high  school  teacher. 

August  M.  Brinkman  acquired  a  public  and  high  school  education,  completing  his 
course  in  the  latter  institution  in  June.  1909.  He  then  attended  the  Washington  Uni- 
versity, in  which  he  completed  a  law  course  by  graduation  in  1913,  and  in  the  same  year 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Through  the  intervening  period  he  has  continued  successfully 
in  practice  and  has  won  a  substantial  clientage.  During  the  war  period  he  served  on  the 
legal  advisory  board  of  the  fourteenth  ward  and  actively  supported  all  the  Liberty 
Loan  and  Red  Cross  drives. 

On  the  7th  of  January.  1914.  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Brinkman  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Gertrude  Heitz  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  William  A. 
and  Louise. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Brinkman  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  Occidental  Lodge, 
No.  163.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he  was  raised  on  the  1st  of  March.  1915.  He  has  since 
attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite  and  is  a  loyal  follower  of  the  craft. 
In  politics  he  is  a  republican  and  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  as  representative 
in  the  forty-ninth  and  fiftieth  general  assemblies,  his  course  there  being  marked  by 
progressiveness  in  support  of  all  measures  calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of  the 
commonwealth.  He  is  a  member  of  the  republican  city  central  committee  of  the  four- 
teenth ward,  and  belongs  to  St.  Aldemar  Commandery,  Knights  Templar.  Those  who 
know  him,  and  he  has  many  friends,  speak  of  him  as  one  of  the  rising  young  lawyers 
of  the  St.  Louis  bar. 


CHARLES  W.   SCARRITT. 


Charles  W.  Scarritt  has  since  1907  given  his  attention  to  the  realty  business  as 
manager  of  the  Scarritt  estate  and  outside  interests  and  in  the  conduct  of  both  displays 
notably  sound  judgment  and  keen  discernment.  It  would  be  to  give  an  impartial  and 
incomplete  view  of  him,  however,  to  mention  him  merely  as  a  successful  and  capable 
business  man.  He  was  formerly  identified  with  the  ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  there  is  scarcely  any  board  for  the  betterment  of  city  affairs  of  which  he  is 
not  a  member.  His  activities  in  behalf  of  his  fellowmen  cover  a  very  wide  scope  and 
have  been  notably  resultant.  Mr.  Scarritt  is  one  of  Kansas  City's  native  sons  and  a 
representative  of  the  oldest  family  here.  He  was  born  at  the  family  homestead  July  20, 
1869.  his  father  being  Nathan  Scarritt,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  and  afterward  went  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  he  matric- 
ulated in  the  Vanderbilt  University,  completing  his  course  with  the  Bachelor  of  Arts 
degree  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1892.  Wishing  to  devote  his  life  to  the  work  of 
the  church,  he  entered  the  Drew  Theological  Seminary  at  Madison,  New  Jersey,  and 
was  graduated  in  1894.  He  entered  the  ministry,  to  which  he  devoted  the  succeeding 
ten  years  of  his  life,  being  a  preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  South,  in 
Kansas  City  and  in  other  points  of  Missouri.  His  health  then  failed,  obliging  him  to 
give  up  the  active  work  of  the  pulpit,  and  he  spent  two  years  in  the  west  recuperating. 
With  his  return  to  Kansas  City  in  1907  he  entered  the  real  estate  field  and  is  the  manager 
of  the  Scarritt  Estate  and  outside  interests,  being  himself  one  of  the  largest  holders  of 
real  estate  in  Kansas  City.  His  judgment  is  sound,  his  vision  broad  and  his  enterprise 
unfaltering,  and  the  management  of  his  property  holdings  has  developed  in  him  splendid 
business  qualifications. 

In  1893  Mr.  Scarritt  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  M.  Spencer  of  Warrenburg, 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  AIISSOURI  61 

Missouri,  daugliter  of  the  Rev.  Joab  Spencer,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  South.  They  have  become  parents' of  Ave  children:  Katherine  M.,  now  the  wife 
of  Harry  B.  Hansell,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Nathan  Spencer,  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  who  was  a  law  student,  is  now  engaged  in  teaching  and  has  a  military  record  as  a 
second  lieutenant  of  the  World  war;  Charles  W.,  eighteen  years  of  age,  who  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Kansas  City  high  school  with  the  class  of  1920;  Clara  Lois,  also  a  high 
school  pupil;  and  Edward  L. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scarritt  are  very  active  and  prominent  members  of  the  Melrose 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  South,  and  Mrs.  Scarritt  is  particularly  noted  for  her  char- 
itable and  philanthropic  work.  She  is  the  president  of  the  Young  Woman's  Christian 
Association  and  Mr.  Scarritt  is  serving  on  the  board  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  the  Spofford  Receiving  Home  for  Children 
and  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Institutional  church.  He  belongs  as  well  to  the 
University  Club,  to  the  Kansas  City  Athletic  Club,  to  the  Hill  Crest  Golf  Club  and  to 
the  Phi  Delta  Theta  fraternity,  belonging  to  the  Vanderbilt  University  Chapter,  and 
other  leading  social  organizations  of  the  city.  He  is  a  man  6f  delightful  personality, 
beloved  by  all  of  his  friends.  He  is  not  unknown  to  the  world  as  a  writer  on  religious 
subjects  and  also  on  art.  He  has  traveled  extensively,  having  completed  his  education 
in  France  and  gaining  that  broad  and  liberal  culture  and  experience  which  is  acquired 
only  through  travel,  his  ideals  of  lite  are  most  high.  A  modern  philosopher  has  said, 
"Not  the  good  that  comes  to  us,  but  the  good  that  comes  to  the  world  through  us,  is 
the  measure  of  our  success,"  and  while  Mr.  Scarritt  has  most  capably  managed  important 
and  extensive  business  interests,  judged  by  the  indicated  standard,  his  life,  too,  has 
been  a  most  successful  one. 


JESSE  M.  FISHER. 


Jesse  M.  Fisher,  one  of  the  youger  representatives  of  the  bar  of  Kansas  City,  having 
been  admitted  to  practice  in  1917,  has  already  made  progress  which  indicates  that  his 
future  career  will  be  well  worth  watching.  He  was  born  at  Tonganoxie,  near  Leaven- 
worth, Kansas,  September  26,  1890,  a  son  of  Charles  W.  and  Sarah  (Carter)  Fisher. 
The  father  was  born  in  West  Virginia  in  1851  and  in  1854  was  taken  to  Kansas  by  his 
parents.  Their  son,  Bernard  Fisher,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  and  the  family  passed  through  all  of  the  experiences,  privations  and  hardships 
incident  to  the  settlement  of  the  frontier.  When  Charles  W.  Fisher  was  but  fourteen 
years  of  age,  at  which  time  the  Civil  war  was  in  progress,  he  rode  into  town  one  day 
with  his  father,  and  just  as  they  arrived  saw  a  man  shot  and  fall  from  his  horse  in  a 
fight  that  started  between  the  two  factions.  This  was  all  of  war  the  boy  wished  to  see 
and  he  told  his  father  he  was  going  home.  After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  took 
up  the  occupation  of  farming,  which  he  followed  as  a  life  work,  and  is  now  living  retired, 
enjoying  a  rest  which  he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves.  He  has  always  taken 
a  keen  interest  in  educational  matters  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board 
in  his  town.  He  married  Sarah  Carter,  who  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  families  of  Ohio. 
Their  marriage  was  celebrated  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  1872  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  living:  William  B.,  Jennie,  Charles  E. 
Rosa  Rae,  James  0.  and  Jesse  M.  The  third  member  of  the  family,  Marshall,  has 
passed  away. 

In  the  Daffer  district  of  his  native  county  Jesse  M.  Fisher  began  his  education  and 
afterward  attended  the  high  school  at  Tonganoxie,  where  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1911.  During  his  high  school  days  he  won  the  county  oratorical  medal,  delivering 
an  address  upon  national  disarmament.  He  also  won  a  scholarship  which  paid  his 
first  year's  tuition  at  Washburn  College.  While  in  high  school  he  won  three  gold 
medals  in  athletic  contests — one  for  a  quarter-mile  run,  another  tor  a  fifty-yard  dash  and 
the  third  for  the  two  himdred  and  twenty  yards  low  hurdle.  Following  his  graduation 
from  high  school  in  1911  he  matriculated  in  Washburn  College  at  Topeka,  Kansas,  in 
which  he  studied  for  three  years.  While  a  freshman  he  was  president  of  his  class  and 
for  two  years  was  president  of  the  Intercollegiate  Prohibition  Association.  He  was 
also  president  of  the  Gamma  Sigma,  .a  literary  society.  During  his  fourth  year  at 
Washburn  College  he  took  up  the  study  of  law  and  afterward  devoted  two  years  to  law 
study   in   the   University  of  Kansas  at  Lawrence,  there   winning  his   LL.   B.   degi'ee   in 


62  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

1917.  He  was  then  admitted  to  the  Kansas  bar  and  in  the  fal|  of  the  same  year  was 
admitted  to  practice  at  the  bar  of  Missouri,  after  which  he  opened  an  office  in  Kansas 
City  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  the  active  work  of  the  profession,  save  for  the 
period  of  his  connection  with  the  United  States  army.  In  September,  1918,  he  enlisted 
and  was  at  the  officers'  training  school  at  Camp  Pike,  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  remaining 
in  the  service  until  December  15,  1918,  when  the  armistice  having  Ijeen  signed,  he 
returned  to  Kansas  City  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  He  has  made  rapid  progi-ess 
in  his  profession  and  already  is  accorded  a  clientage  that  many  an  older  representative 
of  the  bar  might  well  envy. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1916,  Mr.  Fisher  was  married  at  Bonner  Springs,  Kansas, 
to  Miss  Margaret  Fredericks,  whose  father  is  connected  with  the  Bonner  Portland 
Cement  Company  at  Bonner  Springs.  Mrs.  Fisher  is  an  accomplished  musician,  having 
received  her  degree  from  the  Bush  Conservatory  of  Music,  Chicago,  and  the  Chicago 
Fine  Arts  Institute,  where  she  taught  music  for  a  year.  In  religious  faith  Mr.  Fisher 
is  connected  with  the  Christian  church.  He  belongs  to  the  Phi  Alpha  Delta,  a  law 
fraternity,  and  he  has  already  taken  the  initial  degrees  in  Masonry.  Mr.  Fisher  early 
displayed  the  elemental  strength  of  his  character,  which  is  carrying  him  steadily 
forward.  In  his  youth  he  sold  insurance  to  pay  his  way  through  high  school  and  college, 
being  connected  during  that  period  with  the  Home  Mutual  Insurance  Company  of 
Topeka,  Kansas.  He  is  a  young  man  of  exceptionally  high  and  fine  ideals  who  looks  at 
life  with  a  broad  vision,  keeps  thoroughly  in  touch  with  the  questions  and  problems 
of  the  day,  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  advanced  civic  standards  and  at  all  times  is  working 
for  right  and  justice. 


HON.   ELMER   BRAGG   ADAMS,   LL.   D. 

Hon.  Elmer  Bragg  Adams,  who  for  many  years  was  judge  of  the  United  States 
circuit  court  of  appeals  at  St.  Louis,  was  numbered  among  those  men  whose  careers 
have  reflected  credit  and  honor  upon  the  state  that  has  honored  them.  Missouri 
has  always  been  distinguished  for  the  high  rank  of  her  bench  and  bar  and  among 
the  ablest  of  her  lawyers  and  judges  there  was  none  who  displayed  a  more  master- 
ful grasp  of  legal  principles  than  did  Judge  Elmer  B.  Adams.  But  he  was  even 
much  more  than  an  eminent  jurist.  He  studied  closely  the  vital  problems  and 
questions  of  the  day  and  did  much  to  influence  public  thought  and  opinion.  More- 
over, his  entire  career  was  permeated  by  a  Christian  faith  that  made  the  injunction 
"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens"  a  ruling  force  in  his  life.  Not  only  was  he  just, 
but  he  was  kindly  and  considerate  and  men  looked  up  to  him  not  only  because  of 
the  dominant  quality  of  his  intelligence  but  also  because  of  the  love  which  he  con- 
stantly manifested  towards  his  fellowmen. 

Judge  Adams  was  born  at  Pomtret,  Vermont,  October  27,  1842,  and  his  life 
span  covered  the  intervening  years  to  the  24th  of  October,  191.6,  when  he  passed 
away  in  St.  Louis,  where  for  so  many  years  he  had  made  his  home.  He  was  a  son 
of  Jarvis  and  Eunice  H.  (Mitchell)  Adams,  both  of  whom  were  of  English  lineage. 
The  ancestral  line  was  traced  back  directly  to  Henry  Adams,  of  Braintree,  Massa- 
chusetts, who  came  from  England  to  the  new  world  in  1634  and  was  the  progenitor 
of  the  famous  Adams  family  of  Massachusetts,  which  has  furnished  two  presidents 
to  the  country  and  many  distinguished  statesmen  to  the  nation.  His  preliminary 
education  was  acquired  at  Meriden,  New  Hampshire,  and  he  then  entered  Yale, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1865.  on  the  completion  of  a  four  years'  course, 
the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  being  at  that  time  conferred  upon  him.  He  maintained 
high  rank  in  scholarship  during  his  collegiate  course  and  became  a  member  of  Phi 
Beta  Kappa.  He  was  also  a  member  of  Delta  Kappa,  Psi  Upsilon,  the  Wolf's  Head 
and  also  the  Glyuna  Boat  Club. 

After  leaving  Yale,  Judge  Adams  traveled  through  the  south  for  a  year,  estab- 
lishing free  schools  for  the  poor  white  children,  under  the  auspices  of  the  American 
Commission,  and  these  became  permanent  institutions.  Determining  upon  the 
practice  of  law  as  a  life  work.  Judge  Adams  in  1866  began  his  law  reading  at  Wood- 
stock, Vermont,  and  afterward  spent  a  term  .as  a  student  in  the  Harvard  Law 
School.  He  then  resumed  his  study  at  Woodstock  and  in  1868  was  admitted  to  the 
Vermont  bar.     The  opportunities  of  the  growing  west  attracted  him,  however,  and 


HON.  ELMER  B.  ADAMS 


"  THl  NIW  T31M     I 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  65 

in  April  of  the  same  year  he  became  a  resident  of  St.  Louis  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Missouri  bar.  While  advancement  in  law  is  proverbially  slow,  no  dreary  no"vitiate 
awaited  him.  Almost  immediately  there  came  to  him  recognition  of  his  ability  and 
as  the  years  passed  his  clientage  grew  in  volume  and  importance.  After  ten  years 
spent  in  St.  Louis  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  circuit  court  of  the  city  in  1878  and 
occupied  the  bench  for  the  full  term  of  six  years,  after  which  he  declined  not  only 
reelection  but  promotion.  In  1885  he  resumed  the  private  practice  of  law  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Boyle,  Adams  &  McKeigham,  which  later  became  Boyle  & 
Adams  and  for  many  years  occupied  a  place  of  eminence  at  the  St.  Louis  bar.      In 

1895  he  was  again  called  upon  for  judicial  service,  through  appointment  of  Presi- 
dent Cleveland,  who  made  him  United  States  district  judge  for  the  eastern  district 
of  Missouri.  He  served  upon  that  bench  until  1905,  when  still  greater  distinction 
and  honor  came  to  him  in  his  promotion,  through  appointment  of  President  Roose- 
velt, to  the  office  of  United  States  circuit  judge  tor  the  eighth  judicial  circuit.  It 
was  the  bigness  of  one  man  who  could  recognize  the  ability  of  a  political  opponent 
of  equal  broadmindedness  as  well  as  professional  ability.  Judge  Adams  was  a  warm 
personal  friend  of  President  Taft  and  it  is  said  that  the  latter  would  have  appointed 
him  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  United  States  supreme  court  bench  had  it  not  been  for 
his  age.  His  rulings  were  always  strictly  fair  and  impartial  and  he  presided  over 
many  notable  cases.  Mention  might  be  made  of  his  concurrence  in  the  dissolution 
of  the  Standard  Oil  Company  into  its  constituent  companies,  though  he  did  not 
prepare  the  opinion.  He  was  also  one  of  the  four  circuit  judges  who  heard  the 
Harriman  merger  case  of  the  Union  and. Southern  Pacific  Railroads,  the  opinion 
being  delivered  by  him.  The  famous  phrase,  "the  man  higher  up,"  now  so  extensively 
used  by  the  American  people,  was  coined  by  Judge  Adams.  In  charging  the  federal 
grand  jury,  which  was  investigating  naturalization  frauds,  he  said:  "Look  not  tor 
the  little  man  who  is  made  a  tool,  but  tor  the  man  higher  up."  Judge  Adams 
appointed  the  receivers  of  the  Wabash  Railroad  in  the  spring  of  1912  and  directed 
its  management  for  four  years  until  its  reorga^hization  and  sale  to  the  bondholders' 
committee,  confirming  the  sale  for  eighteen  million  dollars.  Likewise  the  receiver 
of  the  Missouri  Pacific  and  Iron  Mountain  Railways  was  appointed  by  him  in  August, 
1913,  but  on  account  of  the  press  of  other  court  matters  he  was  relieved  of  the 
management  of  these  railroads  in  December  of  the  same  year.  In  September,  1915, 
the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  receiver  at  his 
order  and  at  the  time  of  his  decease  was  under  his  management.     When   Utah   in 

1896  was  granted  statehood.  President  Cleveland  appointed  Judge  Adams  to  organize 
the  federal  court.  He  spent  three  weeks  at  that  time  in  Salt  Lake  City  until  the 
first  judge  was  installed.  He  became  one  of  the  best  known  jurists  in  the  states 
comprising  the  eighth  judicial  circuit  and  ranked  with  the  most  eminent  men  who 
have  been  connected  with  judicial  service  in  Missouri.  He  was  also  celebrated  as 
a  lecturer  on  legal  topics  and  acted  as  special  lecturer  on  succession  and  wills  at 
the  University  of  Missouri.  The  honorary  LL.  D.  degree  was  conferred  upon  him 
by  that  institution  in  1898,  also  by  Washington  University  in  1907  and  by  Yala 
in  1916.  He  belonged  to  the  Commercial,  Noonday  and  St.  Louis  Clubs,  the  New 
England  Society,  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution  and  was  a  director  of  the  American 
Peace  and   Arbitration   League. 

On  the  10th  of  November,  1870,  Judge  Adams  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  U. 
Richmond,  daughter  of  Lorenzo  and  Ursula  Richmond,  of  W-oodstock,  Vermont.  He 
held  the  Presbyterian  faith  and  was  a  member  of  the  Washington  and  Compton 
Avenues  church.  Judge  Adams  spent  part  of  each  summer  at  Woodstock,  Vermont, 
where  he  was  living  when  entering  upon  the  study  of  law.  In  the  summer  of  1916, 
when  he  went  back  to  the  Green  Mountain  state  for  his  annual  vacation,  he  did  not- 
put  aside  professional  labors  but  spent  his  time  in  the  preparation  of  opinions 
although  he  needed  rest.  Physicians  say  that  it  was  this  that  brought  on  the  stroke 
of  paralysis  resulting  in  his  death.  After  being  stricken  he  requested  to  be  taken 
to  his  home  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  passed  away  October  24,  1916.  He  was  buried 
in  the  village  cemetery  at  Woodstock,  Vermont.  On  the  afternoon  when  the  funeral 
services  were  held  all  of  the  offices  in  the  federal  building  connected  with  the  depart- 
ment of  justice  were  closed  out  of  respect  to  his  memory  and  on  the  8th  of  January, 
1917,  most  impressive  memorial  services  were  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  United 
States  circuit  court  of  appeals  of  the  eighth  circuit,  six  judges  presiding  on  that 
occasion.  The  press  throughout  the  country  commented  upon  his  career.  The 
St.  Louis  Republic,  writing  of  him  as  "an  upright  judge  and  a  kindly  and  modest 

Vol.  Ill— 5  .  ^ 


66  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

gentleman,"  said:  "He  believed  in  the  jurist's  absorption  in  his  profession  and  he 
lived  up  to  his  belief.  He  spent  his  whole  life  and  strength  in  the  work  to  which 
his  country  had  called  him.  His  simplicity  of  manner  and  generosity  of  appreciation 
of  good  men  and  things  will  long  live  in  the  memory  of  those  who  had  the  good 
fortune  to  come  into  contact  with  him.  To  him  work  was  its  own  reward.  Such 
a  life  may  well  be  pondered  by  the  young  and  rising  members  of  the  legal  pro- 
fession today."  In  the  Globe  Democrat  appeared  the  following:  "Judge  Elmer  B. 
Adams  died  before  his  time  because  he  placed  the  claims  of  duty  above  consideration 
for  his  own  health.  He  spent  his  last  vacation  period  in  writing  opinions  instead 
of  in  resting.  He  could  have  retired  from  the  bench,  under  the  law,  at  full  pay 
some  time  ago,  but  he  preferred  to  discharge  the  duties  for  which  he  was  so 
admirably  fitted  by  native  ability  and  long  experience.  He  added  luster  to  the 
fame  of  one  of  America's  most  distinguished  families.  His  private  and  public  life 
was  spotless.  He  believed  in  American  institutions  and  in  his  long  career  as  a 
United  States  district  and  circuit  judge  he  kept  their  spirit  ever  in  mind.  He 
believed  that  the  sturdy  and  steady  enforcement  of  laws  was  more  beneficial  than 
the  cumbering  of  the  statute  books  with  experimental  legislation."  There  is  no 
man  who  has  ever  stood  more  firmly  for  justice  and  right,  yet  Judge  Adams  ever 
tempered  justice  with  mercy  and  there  was  something  in  his  own  life  to  which  the 
good  in  others  always  responded. 


CHARLES  H.   PECK. 


Charles  H.  Peck  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  financiers  and  citizens  of 
St.  Louis  and  among  those  who  have  been  actively  connected  with  the  substantial 
and  brilliant  achievements  of  this  great  middle  west.  He  was  numbered  among 
those  men  whose  personal  influence  and  example  have  reflected  credit  and  honor  upon 
the  city.  The  vigorous  strength  of  character  and  fine  qualities  and  Christian  life 
which  he  has  shown  in  public  and  private  life  came  to  him  as  a  legitimate  inheritance 
from  a  long  line  of  worthy  ancestors  in  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines;  yet 
there  is  much  about  him  that  can  with  proflt  be  set  down  here  as  an  illustration 
of  what  can  be  done  if  a  man  with  a  clear  brain  and  willing  hands  sets  himself 
seriously  to  the  real  labors  and  responsibilities  of  life.  His  was  never  a  record  of 
commonplaces.  It  was  because  he  learned  to  use  to  the  utmost  the  talents  with 
which  nature  endowed  him  and  to  value  correctly  life's  contacts  and  experiences. 
Coming  to  the  west  during  its  formative  period,  he  was  among  the  promoters  of  its 
greatness,  and  in  nearly  all  that  he  did  the  public  was  a  large  indirect  beneficiary. 

Charles  Henry  Peck  was  born  in  New  York  city,  September  21,  1817,  a  son 
of  Stephen  Peck  and  Catherine  Barclay  (Walter)  Peck,  both  of  whom  were  of  Eng- 
lish lineage,  closely  related  to  some  of  the  oldest  and  most  infiuential  families  of 
New  England.  Edward  Peck,  father  of  the  emigrant  ancestor,  William  Peck,  was 
an  eminent  lawyer  in  London,  sergeant  at  law  to  His  Majesty  Charles  II.  The  family 
name  is  of  very  ancient  origin  and  its  coat-of-arms,  used  as  early  as  the  fifteenth 
and  sixteenth  centuries,  is  now  preserved  in  the  British  Museum.  The  father  was 
born  in  Connecticut  and  was  descended  from  William  Peck,  who  was  born  in  Lon- 
don, England,  in  1601  and  came  to  America  with  his  wife  and  son  in  the  company 
of  Governor  Eaton  and  Rev.  John  Davenport  and  others  in  the  ship  Hector,  arriving 
at  Boston  June  26,  1637.  William  Peck  became  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of 
New  Haven,  his  autograph  signature  being  affixed  to  the  fundamental  agreement 
or  constitution,  dated  June  4,  1639,  for  the  government  of  the  infant  colony.  This 
is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  first  examples  in  history  of  a  written  constitution 
organizing  a  government  and  defining  its  powers.  He  was  admitted  a  freeman 
October  20,  1640,  and  was  a  deputy  to  the  general  court  from  1640  until  1648. 
The  famous  old  historic  house  built  by  Hezekiah  Peck  at  Attleboro,  Massachusetts, 
has  been  secured  and  preserved  as  a  relic  by  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion. It  has  stood  for  more  than  two  hundred  years,  having  been  built  in  1700, 
and  has  always  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  Peck  family,  six  generations 
residing  there.  Isaac  Peck,  of  the  fifth  generation,  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  and  died  at  Greenwich,  Connecticut,  in  1827.  Stephen  Peck,  of  the  sixth 
generation,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in   1792  and  died  in 


CHARLES  H.   PECK 


•MBLICmfURY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  69 

1820,  at  the  early  age  of  .twenty-eight  years.     On  the  1st  of  January,  1817,  he  mar- 
ried Catherine  Barclay  Walter,  daughter  of  John  and  Lydia  (Stout)  Walter. 

Through  this  marriage  Charles  H.  Peck,  whose  name  Introduces  this  record, 
was  a  direct  descendant  of  Colonel  David  Barclay  of  the  barony  of  Ury,  Scotland, 
who  married  Lady  Katharine  Gordon,  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Gordon  of  Gordons- 
town  and  known  as  the  White  Rose  of  Scotland.  This  marriage  into  the  Walter 
family  brings  the  line  of  descent  down  from  Robert  Walter,  member  of  the  king's 
council  from  1698  until  1730  and  the  thirty-third  mayor  of  New  York  city,  serving 
from  1720  to  1725.  The  ancestral  line  goes  back  to  Philip  Pieterse  Schuyler,  who 
emigrated  from  Holland  in  1645,  and  Captain  Arent  Schuyler,  who  wedded  Mary 
Walter,  daughter  of  Robert  Walter.  Colonel  Peter  Schuyler,  who  became  governor 
of  New  York  in  1719,  was  a  son  of  Arent  Schuyler  and  his  second  wife,  Swantie 
Dyckhuse.  Colonel  Peter  Schuyler  married  Hester  Walter,  granddaughter  of  Robert 
Walter  and  daughter  of  John  Walter,  Esq.,  who  resided  at  Hanover  Square,  New 
York.  Catharine  Schuyler,  the  only  child  of  Colonel  Peter  Schuyler,  was  the  sole 
heiress  of  her  grandfather,  John  Walter,  inheriting  a  vast  estate  that  had  been 
accumulating  for  several  generations  and  was  equaled  by  few  in  either  province. 
She  married  Archibald  Kennedy  of  the  Royal  Navy,  Earl  Cassillas,  who  at  her  death 
married  Anne  Watts.  In  17  65  Governor  Colden  said  that  Archibald  Kennedy  pos- 
sessed more  real  estate  in  New  York  than  any  other  man,  owning  the  greater  part 
of  it  by  right  of  his  wife,  Catharine  Walter  Schuyler. 

Stephen  Peck,  the  father  of  Charles  H.  Peck  and  who  married  Catherine  Barclay 
Walter,  was  buried  in  New  York  city,  December  12,  1820,  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard, 
at  the  corner  of  Fulton  and  Vesey  streets,  where  they  attended  service.  This  is 
the  oldest  public  building  and  the  only  colonial  church  building  in  New  York,  erected 
in  1766.  Immediately  after  his  inauguration  George  Washington  with  both  houses 
of  congress  went  in  procession  to  St.  Paul's  chapel,  where  service  was  held  by 
Bishop  Provost,  chaplain  of  the  senate.  Charles  H.  Peck  was  connected  by  mar- 
riage with  General  George  Washington  through  Jerusha  Sands,  who  was  his  great- 
grandmother,  a  descendant  of  Robert  Sandy's  of  Rattenby  Castle,  St.  Bees,  Cumber- 
land, England,  in  1399.  The  ancestral  line  is  traced  back  to  Captain  James  Sands 
of  Sands  Point,  Long  Island,  or  Captain  James  Sands,  who  was  born  at  Reading, 
England,  in  1622  and  came  to  America  in  1638.  He  settled  first  at  Portsmouth, 
Rhode  Island,  while  in  1660  he  became  a  resident  of  Block  Island,  Rhode  Island. 
His  father  was  Henry  Sandy's  of  England,  a  younger  son  of  Dr.  Edwin  Sandes,  arch- 
bishop of  York  in  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  While  occupying  the  bishopric 
Dr.  Edwin  Sandes  leased  Scrooby  Manor  to  the  father  of  Brewster,  who  was  one 
of  the  band  of  Pilgrims  that  landed  at  Plymouth  Rock  in  1620.  At  his  death 
the  eldest  son,  Sir  Samuel  Sandy's,  leased  Scrooby  Manor  to  Brewster  and  there 
the  first  Separatists  church  was  formed.  All  the  sons  of  Archbishop  Sandes  were 
interested  in  the  London  Virginia  Company,  his  second  son,  Sir  Edwin  Sandes, 
being  governor  of  the  colony  in  1620.  He  also  assisted  the  Mayflower  company 
in  the  settlement  of  New  England.  A  cousin  of  the  family  became  the  owner  of 
Warner  Hall,  the  estate  of  George  Washington's  father  in  Virginia.  Another  matter 
of  historical  interest  concerning  the  ancestry  is  that  the  London  Times  was  owned 
by  the  Walter  family  for  three  generations.  Th^y  were  also  the  owners  of  Bear-- 
wood  estate  of  about  three  thousand  acres,  at  one  time  forming  a  part  of  the  Windsor 
forest  and  purchased  from  the  crown  about  1810.  At  the  close  of  the  Peninsular 
war  King  Ferdinand  of  Spain  sent  a  table  service  of  solid  gold  to  John  Walter  (II) 
as  an  acknowledgment  of  his  service  rendered  to  the  cause  of  Spain.  Mrs.  Rebecca 
Peck  Dusenbery  and  Mrs.  Max  Bryant,  daughters  of  Charles  H.  Peck,  have  in  their 
possession  the  old  Walter  family  bible,  now  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  old,  con- 
taining the  Walter  family  records  back  to  Robert  Walter  of  England.  This  bible 
was  handed  down  from  John  Walter  (II),  also  the  old  English  psalmbook  over  two 
hundred  years  old,  which  also  contains  the  Walter  records,  and  a  jeweled  knee 
buckle  which  he  wore,  these  heirlooms  passing  from  generation  to  generation. 

Charles  H.  Peck,  long  a  most  prominent  and  honored  resident  of  St.  Louis, 
was  but  four  years  of  age  when  his  father  died  and  he  afterward  went  with  his 
mother  to  New  Jersey,  being  reared  there  on  a  large  farm  belonging  to  his  maternal 
grandfather.  He  made  excellent  use  of  his  opportunities  to  acquire  an  education 
and  early  gave  evidence  of  the  elemental  strength  of  his  character — a  strength  that 
enabled  him  in  later  years  to  recognize  and  utilize  all  of  the  opportunities  that  came 


70  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

to  him  in  a  business  way  and  eventually  to  gain  a  place  of  prominence  in  the  busi- 
ness circles  of  his  adopted  city.     During  his  teens  he  went  to  New  York,  where  he 
served  an  apprenticeship  under  an  architect  and  master  builder,  developing  marked 
efnciency  along   those  lines.     At  length   he  heard  and   heeded   the  call  of  the  west 
and  by  the  river  route  along  the  Hudson  to  Albany,  the  canal  to  Buffalo  and  thence 
by  the  Great  Lakes  he  made  his  way  to  Chicago,  then  a  place  of  little  importance. 
He  and  his  partner  then  built  a  fiat-bottomed  boat,  in  which  they  proceeded  down 
the  Fox  and  Illinois  rivers  to   Peoria  and   thence   traveled  by   keel-boat  to   Beards- 
town,    Illinois,    and    across    the    country    to    Alton.    Illinois,    proceeding    thence    by 
steamer  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  arrived  in   1838.     Of  him  it  was  written:      "He  was 
at   that   time   twenty-one   years   of   age,    mentally   and   physically   a   vigorous   young 
man,  firm  in  the  determination  to  win  his  way  to  position  and  affluence.     St.  Louis 
was  not,  however,  a  great  city  in  those  days:    fortunes  were  not  made  rapidly,  as 
now,  nor  was  money  accumulated  as  a  rule,  except  by  earnest  effort  and  persistent 
application  to  business  pursuits  only  moderately  remunerative.     While  it  was  then, 
as  now,  a  substantial  city,  conservatism   was  a  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the 
business  men  of  St.  Louis,  and  men  of  enterprise  and  energy  were  needed  to  stimu- 
late commercial   and  industrial  activity.      Mr.   Peck   became  one  of   the  pioneers  of 
this  class,  and  from  the  beginning  of  his  career  as  a  citizen  of  this  city  was  fore- 
most in   encouraging   the  development   of   latent  resources   and   the   building   up   of 
industries  in  the  city  and  throughout  the  state.     From   that   time   he   was  engaged 
in  the  conduct  and  management  of.  or  pecuniarily  interested  in.  many  of  the  largest 
and    most    successful    manufacturing   enterprises   of    St.    Louis."      He    possessed    the 
characteristics   that   enabled   him    to   make   steady   progress   in    his    business   career. 
His  early  training  received  in  New  York  constituted  the  foundation  upon  which  he 
builded  his  prosperity.     He  became  an  active  factor  in   promoting  the  growth   and 
development  of  St.  Louis  through  his  operations  as  a  contractor.     He  erected  most 
of  the   government  buildings  in   the  old   arsenal,   now  called   Lyon    Park,   and   also 
built  the  magazines  in  Jefferson  Barracks.     The  city  and  country  residences  of  Henry 
Shaw   were   erected    under   his   supervision   and    he   assisted   also   in    laying   out   the 
first  outlines  of  Shaw's  Gardens.      His   building   operations   constantly   increased   in 
volume    and    importance,    with    the    result    that    the    energetic    young    man    had    in 
hand  a  reserve  fortune  that  permitted  his  active  promotion  of  and  connection  with 
various   industrial   and   commercial    pursuits   that   have   been   of   the    utmost   benefit 
not  only  to  St.  Louis  but  to  the  state  as  well.     At  the  time  of  his  death  the  local 
press  said:      "He   was  one  of  that  coterie   of   men,   who   in   the   turbulent   times   of 
Civil   war  and  reconstruction,   kept  an   ever-watchful  eye   upon  the  interests  of  the 
'future  great'  and  made  the  city  what  it  is  today."     In  all  of  his  financial  operations 
he  manifested  the  keenest  discernment  and  notable  power  in  harmonizing  complex 
interests  and  adjusting  diverse   relations,   so  that  the   utmost  possibility  of  success 
was  achieved.     He  studied  the  natural  resources  of  the  state  and   became  a  factor 
in  its  mining  operations,  its  railroad  building  and  the  promotion  of  its  manufacturing 
and    banking    interests.      His    work    was    especially    noteworthy    in    connection    with 
the  utilization  of  Missouri's  mineral   wealth.      He  was  president  of  the  Pilot   Knob 
Iron    Company   in   ante-bellum    days,    but    during    the   period    of    the    Civil    war    the 
wortts   were   destroyed.      Mr.    Peck,   in   company   with   James   H.    Lucas   and   John   S. 
McCuue,  then  purchased  ground  at  Carondelet  and  established  there  the  first   fur- 
nace  built   west   of   the   Mississippi    river   to   smelt    Missouri    iron   ores    with    Illinois 
coal.     It  was  believed  that  this  could  not  be  done  but   Mr.   Peck  soon   proved   that 
it  was  no   useless  experiment  and.   after   the  first   successful   operation   of   the   new 
plant,  he  was  joined  by  other  substantial  business  men  in  the  erection  of  the  Vulcan 
Iron  Works  and  Steel  Rail  Mill,  which  became  a  most  important  industrial  concern, 
ranking  among  the  extensive  iron  manufactories  of  the  country.     In  1876  he  served 
with   the  committee   which  met   in   Philadelphia  and   organized   the   Bessemer   Steel 
Association,  which  became  a  potent  factor  in  the  extension  and  development  of  the 
iron  trade. 

His  resourceful  ability  led  him  into  various  other  fields  of  activity.  He  became 
one  o£  the  directors  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  Company  and  an  active  factor 
in  the  extension  of  its  line  from  Sedalia  to  Kansas  City.  He  was  also  associated 
with  Daniel  R.  Garrison  and  others  in  constructing  a  railway  from  Kansas  City  to 
Atchison  and  became  one  of  the  owners  of  the  road  and  one  of  its  directors.  He 
was  long  connected  with  the  directorate  of  the  St.  Louis  Gas  Company  and  was 
again  and  again  honored  with  its  vice  presidency.     He  was  likewise  connected  with 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  71 

the  Carondelet  Gas  Light  Company,  nor  was  he  unknown  In  insurance  circles, 
serving  at  different  times  as  president  ot  the  City  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company 
and  the  St.  Louis  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company.  He  was  a  prime  moving  force 
in  the  organization  and  control  of  many  building  and  manufacturing  concerns  and 
for  many  years  what  was  the  city's  finest  hotel  owed  Its  existence  in  large  measure 
to  him.  He  became  a  director  of  the  Lindell  Hotel  Company  and  when,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war,  work  was  suspended  for  lack  of  means,  he  furnished  the 
capital  necessary  for  its  completion  and  then  negotiated  for  Its  furnishing  and 
occupation  by  Spar  &  Parks,  proprietors  of  the  Planters  House.  He  was  the  repre- 
sentative of  Jesse  Lindell  in  perfecting  leases  which  led  to  the  improvement  of 
the  north  side  of  Washington  avenue,  between  Eleventh  and  Thirteenth  streets,  in 
1857,  and  was  one  of  the  commissioners  for  the  apportionment  of  the  large  estate 
o£  Peter  Lindell.  A  factor  in  the  city's  industrial  development  as  early  as  1847, 
he  became  interested  in  the  planing  mill  business,  erecting  a  mill  at  the  corner  of 
Eighth  street  and  Park  avenue  in  connection  with  his  brother.  He  was  an  incor- 
porator, director  and  treasurer  of  the  St.  Louis  Mutual  House  Building  Company, 
the  pioneer  institution  of  this  kind  in  the  city.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators 
o£  the  Insurance  Exchange  Building  Company,  which  in  1868  erected  the  Insurance 
Exchange  building,  then  one  ot  the  finest  office  buildings  of  the  west.  For  many 
years  he  served  as  a  director  of  the  Provident  Savings  Bank  and  also  of  the 
Mechanics  Bank,  which  he  aided  in  organizing  and  incorporating.  From  the  date 
ot  its  organization  he  was  a  member  of  the  Merchants  Exchange  and  in  1870 
became  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  Vandeventer  Place  and  at  his  death  was  the 
last  member  of  the  original  board.  His  enterprise  has  added  much  to  the  general 
welfare  and  wealth  of  the  city.  He  desired  success  and  rejoiced  in  the  benefits 
and  opportunities  which  wealth  brings,  but  he  was  too  broad-minded  a  man  to 
rate  it  above  its  true  value  and  in  all  of  his  mammoth  business  undertakings  he 
found  that  enjoyment  which  comes  in  mastering  a  situation — the  joy  of  doing  what 
he  undertook.  The  business  record  of  Mr.  Peck  was  ever  an  unassailable  one,  for 
he  always  followed  constructive  methods,  his  path  never  being  strewn  with  the 
wreck  of  other  men's  fortunes. 

In  1840  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Peck  to  Miss  Rebecca  Adams,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  to  them  were  born  nine  children,  of  whom  three  survive:  Rebecca 
Adams,  who  is  the  widow  of  Joseph  Warren  Dusenbery,  of  New  York  city,  and  now 
resides  in  St.  Louis;  Belle,  the  wife  of  Max  M.  Bryant,  of  St.  Louis;  and  John 
Adams,  also  of  this  city.  Mrs.  Dusenbery  is  a  member  of  the  National  Society  of 
the  Colonial  Dames  of  America  through  New  York  and  Mrs.  Bryant  of  the  National 
Society  of  Colonial  Daughters  of  American  Founders  and  Patriots. 

The  death  of  Mrs.  Peck  occurred  May  10,  1909.  Before  her  demise  it  was 
written  of  her:  "Her  husband  always  acknowledged  her  helpfulness,  for  her  counsel 
and  advice  were  of  great  value  to  him  and  her  words  of  encouragement  also  con- 
stituted an  element  in  his  success.  She  is  connected  in  ancestral  lines  with  some 
of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent  New  England  families,  from  whom  have  come 
those  strains  of  culture  and  refinement  which  have  dominated  her  whole  life  and 
have  not  only  made  her  a  leader  in  social  circles  but  one  who  has  enjoyed  the 
admiration  and  love  of  those  with  whom  she  has  come  in  contact.  She  is  today 
one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  St.  Louis,  not  only  by  reason  of  the  years  which 
have  been  allotted  to  her,  but  also  from  the  length  of  her  connection  with  the  city. 
Coming  here  in  her  girlhood,  she  witnessed  its  marvelous  development  and  the 
growth  of  the  great  middle  west,  as  St.  Louis  has  been  transformed  from  a  little 
French  settlement  to  the  fourth  city  of  the  Union.  Mrs.  Peck  has  long  been  an 
active  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  to  which  Mr.  Peck  also  belonged. 
Mrs.  Peck  was  the  oldest  and  the  only  living  member  of  the  original  members 
present  at  the  celebration  of  the  seventieth  anniversary  of  the  Second  Presbyterian 
church,  in  which  she  was  married,  which  was  held  in  St.  Louis.  October  10,  1908. 
She  was  selected  as  the  Missouri  representative  of  the  National  Longfellow  Memorial 
Association  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and  is  one  of  the  hundred  regents  of  this  organ- 
ization." 

Charles  H.  Peck  possessed,  too,  a  most  kindly  and  genial  nature  and  held 
friendship  inviolable.  Those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  learned  to  prize  him^ 
no  less  for  his  personal  worth  and  agreeable  manners  than  for  his  business  capacity. 
Honorable  in  purpose,  fearless  in  conduct,  he  stood  for  many  years  as  one  of  the 
most  eminent  and  valued  citizens  of  St.  Louis  and  the  memory  of  his  life  remains 


72  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

as  an  inspiration  and  a  benediction  to  those  who  knew  him.  Throughout  his  entire 
career  he  guided  his  life  by  those  rules  which  have  their  root  in  the  Christian 
religion.  He  was  charitable  and  benevolent,  willing  at  all  times  to  share  his  success 
with  those  who  were  less  fortuate  and  needed  assistance,  and  yet  his  giving  was 
of  a  most  unostentatious  character.  He  had  reached  his  eighty-second  year  when 
he  passed  away  July  3,  1899,  leaving  to  his  family  the  priceless  heritage  of  an 
untarnished  name.  His  life  was  ever  honorable  in  its  purpose  and  measured  up 
to  the  highest  standards  of  manhood  and  citizenship.  He  strove  always  to  reach 
the  high  ideals  which  were  his  inspiration  and  he  used  his  talents  and  his  opportu- 
nities wisely  and  well,  not  only  for  his  own  benefit,  but  for  the  benefit  and  assistance 
of  his  fellowmeu. 


HON.  LAWRENCE  VEST  STEPHENS. 

Hon.  Lawrence  Vest  Stephens  is  known  as  one  of  the  statesmen  of  Missouri — 
one  whose  opinions  command  the  widest  attention  and  whose  views  are  regarded 
as  the  outcome  of  his  studies  in  what  may  be  termed  the  post  graduate  school  of 
experience.  He  is  loved  by  his  friends,  honored  by  his  followers  and  respected  by. 
even  his  political  opponents.  No  one  has  ever  doubted  his  personal  integrity  nor  his 
belief  in  the  causes  which  he  has  espoused  nor  the  course  which  he  has  pursued. 
He  is  still  in  the  prime  of  his  intellectual  vigor  and  his  opinions  awaken  the  keenest 
interest  of  all  who  are  concerned  in  questions  of  state  and  national  importance. 

Mr.  Stevens  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  Boonville, 
December  21,  1858,  his  parents  being  Joseph  L.  and  Martha  (Gibson)  Stephens. 
Liberal  educational  advantages  were  accorded  him  and  after  leaving  the  public  schools 
he  attended  Cooper  Institute,  also  the  Kemper  Family  School  at  Boonville,  Missouri. 
and  later  entered  upon  his  college  and  university  work,  attending  the  Washington 
and  Lee  University  at  Lexington,  Virginia,  where  he  completed  his  education.  In 
1898,  however,  the  University  of  Missouri  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Laws.  Some  one  has  written  of  his  "catholicity  of  intellectual  enthusiasm."  Noth- 
ing that  concerns  his  fellows  is  foreign  to  him  and  he  has  sought  the  views  of  the 
master  minds  of  the  world  in  the  literature  of  the  ages. 

In  young  manhood  Mr.  Stephens  began  learning  the  printer's  trade,  his  father 
being  the  owner  of  a  local  paper.  He  took  up  the  work  more  as  a  pastime  than  with 
any  definite  idea  of  using  it,  but  his  training  became  of  the  utmost  value  inasmuch 
as  it  constituted  a  school  in  which  he  studied  the  acts  and  the  motives  of  men, 
the  trend  of  modern  thought  and  public  events  in  their  broader  scope.  He  also 
became  an  export  telegrapher  and  was  in  charge  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph 
office  at  Boonville.  Advancing  continuously  in  connection  with  newspaper  publication, 
he  eventually  became  editor  of  the  Boonville  Advertiser  and  remains  to  this  day 
a  contributor  to  the  columns  of  that  paper,  occasionally  writing  articles  which  are 
most  widely  read.  Abandoning  newspaper  writing  as  an  occupation,  he  entered  bank- 
ing circles,  becoming  bookkeeper  in  the  Central  National  Bank  of  Boonville  and  gain- 
ing recognition  of  his  ability  and  trustworthiness  in  promotions  that  made  him 
successively  assistant  cashier,  director  and  vice  president.  Since  that  time  his  experi- 
ence in  banking  circles  has  been  broad  and  varied.  He  was  appointed  by  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  receiver  of  the  Fifth  National  Bank  of  St.  Louis  in  1887  and 
so  controlled  its  affairs  that  he  paid  the  depositors  ninety-eight  cents  on  the  dollar, 
when  thirty-three  and  one-third  per  cent  was  all  the  government  bank  examiner 
in  charge  thought  could  possibly  be  realized  for  the  depositors.  This  masterly 
conduct  of  involved  financial  interests  won  to  him  the  attention  of  the  business 
public,  so  that  it  was  but  a  logical  step  to  his  appointment  by  Governor  David  R. 
Francis  to  the  position  of  state  treasurer  of  Missouri  in  1889.  By  election  he  was 
continued  in  the  office  for  a  second  term  of  four  years,  or  until  1897.  He  was  then 
chosen  chief  executive  of  Missouri,  being  nominated  by  acclamation  and  receiving 
a  majority  of  forty-four  thousand  votes,  running  nine  thousand  votes  ahead  of 
the  state  ticket.  In  this  connection  a  prominent  Missourian  said  of  him:  "During 
the  free  silver  movement  he  wrote  Silver  Nuggets  for  a  weekly  newspaper  and  his 
work  became  so  popular  that  thousands  of  copies  were  demanded.  As  a  result 
he  became  the  foremost  leader  of  the   '16   to   1'   cause   in  Missouri   and   was  swept 


HON.  LAWRENCE  V.   STEPHENS 


I      THI  NiW  TORI 


ASTf  ft,  LI»VOi:  viNtt 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  75 

into  the  office  of  governor  by  the  largest  majority  ever  received  by  any  Missouri 
governor  in  a  straight-out  fight  between  the  two  great  political  parties.  *  *  « 
In  politics  he  has  been  upright  and  clean.  He  served  the  state  of  Missouri  seven 
years  as  state  treasurer  and  four  years  as  governor,  and  for  clean-cut  progressive- 
ness,  business  integrity  and  civic  advancement  his  official  record  is  unsurpassed 
in  this  state." 

In   an   article    concerning    Governor    Stephens    appearing    in    St.    Louis    Mirror, 
written   by  William  M.  Reedy,  is  the  following:      "It  was  a   lively   governorship — - 
because  a  live  man  exercised  it.     The  Governor  was  no  dilettante  in  politics.     He 
believed  in  his  friends;   believed  the  more  if  others  disbelieved  or  denounced  them. 
He  put  them  in   office.     They  were  men  who  believed  that  'all  other  things   being 
equal,   democrats   should   have  a   shade   the   best   of   it.'      And   that   was   not   at   all 
inconsistent  with  public  service.     There  was  a  deal  of  raving  by  opposition   politi- 
cians  to   political   aspects   of   the  Stephens   administration,   but   there   was   no   criti- 
cism at  all  of  its  administrative  or   business   or   service   side.      It  was   the   politics 
of  the    Stephens   administration    that   made    St.    Louis   a   democratic    city   and   kept 
it  so  for  eight  years.      The  Governor   was  a  progressive  in   the   true   sense,   and   his 
achievements  are  written  into  the  statute  books.     It  was  under  his  administration 
that   the   street   railroads   were   consolidated   in   St.   Louis,   and    while  consolidation 
brought   evils   in   its   train,   it   brought    much    good,    first    in    better    service   and   in 
transfers  and  finally  in   getting  the  great  institution  together   so   that  it  might   be 
more  easily  regulated  by  the  people.     If  regulation'  has  not  yet  come,  it  is  because 
the    people    have    not    exerted    their    own    power,    which    Governor    Stephens    has 
pointed  out  to  them.     He  was  the  first  Missouri  governor   to  recommend   the  'fel- 
low-servant'   bill    and   referendum   and    initiative    which    he    did   in    a    special    mes- 
sage  to   the   legislature.      He   gave   the   State    University   the   collateral   inheritance 
tax,    from   which   it   has   received    millions   of   dollars.      He    inaugurated    the   move- 
ment for  the  Louisiana   Purchase  Exposition   and   established  a   State   Fair,   located 
at  Sedalia.     He  also  established  the  Confederate  Home,  the  Federal   Home,  a  fruit 
experiment    station,    an    institution    for    epileptics    and    feeble-minded    and    another 
asylum  for  lunatics.      After  a  hard  fight  he  had  the  pleasure  of   signing   Missouri's 
'fellow-servant'  bill.     His  administration  was  a  business  administration,  and  he  did 
things.      Politically    stormy,    the    Stephens   administration    was    thoroughly    efficient 
in  all  state  business  and  the  credit  of  the  state  was  never  so  high.     The  Governor 
enjoyed  the  fighting  thoroughly,  and  whether  in  spoken  words  or  Advertiser  editorial 
or  in  practical  political  manoeuvering,  he  was  more  than  a  match   tor  all  his  foes, 
most  of  whom  liked  him  personally,  while  lambasting  him  politically.     His  retire- 
ment from  office  left  both  the  state  and  his  party  in  excellent  condition  and  position." 
With  his  retirement  from   office  Mr.   Stephens   did  not  cease  to   be   a   political 
power  in  the  state.     There   is   no   vital   question    that   comes   up    for   settlement   in 
Missouri  on   which   his  opinion   is  not   sought  and   in   considerable  measure  he   has 
decided   on   the   policy  of  democracy   in   Missouri   for   many   years.     His   position   is 
never  an  equivocal  one.     He  speaks  directly  to  the  point  at  issue  with  a  clearness 
that  leaves  no  one  in  doubt  as  to  his  opinion  and  his  position.     He  has  frequently 
been  a  delegate  at  large  to  the  democratic  national  convention,  where  his  influence 
has  been  a  potent  force  in  molding  public   opinion.      He  was  strongly   urged  by  all 
the   state   officers,    supreme   judges,    the    leading    mayors    of    Missouri,    the    banking 
fraternity  of  the  country  and  others  prominent  in  the  state  and  nation  for  appoint- 
ment to   the   position   of   comptroller   of   the   currency   when   President   Wilson   was 
elected,    but   the   honor   has   never   come   so   far   west.      Since    his   retirement    from 
office  he  has   been  prominently   identified  with   financial   interests   of   the   state  and 
had  promoted  various  important  corporations,   being   the   organizer   of   the   Central 
Missouri   Trust   Company   of   Jefferson    City,   of   which   he   became   president   and   a 
director  and  also  the  Bank  of  Bunceton,  Missouri.     Returning  to  St.  Louis  in  1903, 
Mr.  Stephens  devoted  his  time  to  putting  his  own  affairs  in  order  and  turned  down 
all  business  except  that  of  trustee  of  the  Barnes  Hospital,  being  appointed  to  suc- 
ceed Samuel  Cupples  in  that  connection.     As  trustee  for  the  hospital  his  time  was 
largely  occupied  in  looking  after  all  the  building,  equipping  and  organizing   of   the 
hospital   from   the  start   until   it   was   complete   in   every   detail.      He   kept   in   close 
touch    with    the   work   throughout   the    entire    period,    requiring    about    three    years' 
time,  and  then  resigned  his  position  as  trustee  when  the  hospital  was  in  good  run- 
ning order.     On  war  being  declared  Mr.  Stephens  made  a  most  generous  and  notable 
offer  to  the  United  States  government  of  the  use  of  his  fortune  of  two  hundred  and 


76  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

fifty  thousand  dollars  in  cash  if  the  government  would  agree  to  pay  him  six  per 
cent  interest  on  that  amount  so  long  as  he  should  live,  while  at  his  death  the  entire 
amount  was  to  go  to  the  government.  An  act  of  congress  and  special  legislation, 
however,  would  have  been  necessary  to  accept  this  offer,  which  clearly  showed  the 
spirit  of  patriotism  of  Mr.  Stephens.  He  was  very  active  in  all  war  work,  espe- 
cially in  promoting  the  Liberty  Loan  drives  and  in  advancing  the  work  of  the  Red 
Cross. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1880,  at  Boonville,  Missouri,  Governor  Stephens  was 
married  to  Miss  Margaret  Nelson,  a  daughter  of  the  late  J.  M.  Nelson  of  that 
place.  Mrs.  Stephens  gave  her  husband  most  valuable  support,  and  the  Governor 
has  often  said  that  what  credit  attached  to  his  administration  was  largely  due 
to  her  unwavering  loyaty,  her  heart's  interest  and  her  wise  counsel.  No  governor's 
wife  has  ever  left  the  mansion  more  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Lon  V.  Stephens. 
Mr.  Stephens  is  well  known  in  club  circles,  belonging  to  the  Jefferson,  Mercantile, 
St.  Louis  and  Bellerive  Country  Clubs,  and  also  to  the  Delta  Psi  fraternity  of  Wash- 
ington and  Lee  University.  He  has  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree  in  Masonry, 
has  served  as  curator  of  the  Central  College  of  Fayette,  Missouri,  and  has  also  been 
a  member  of  the  official  board  of  the  Cabanne  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  South, 
of  St.  Louis.  He  is  now  the  treasurer  of  the  board  of  finance  of  the  Union  church. 
South,  which  has  a  fund  of  over  a  million  dollars  at  the  present  time,  a  sum  which 
is  growing  rapidly,  and  it  is  hoped  that  it  will  reach  ten  million  dollars.  This 
fund  is  devoted  to  the  care  of  the  superannuated  ministers  of  the  church.  Mr. 
Stephens  devotes  much  of  his  time  to  this  work,  acting  in  an  advisory  way  without 
salary.  Thus  he  has  given  most  freely  of  his  time,  his  energy  and  his  means  to 
those  great  interests  which  make  for  the  uplift  of  humanity,  the  betterment  of  the 
race  and  the  improvement  of  conditions  which  affect  the  welfare  of  the  entire 
country.  He  stands  today  as  a  splendid  example  of  American  manhood  and  citi- 
zenship, of  American  honor  and  chivalry.  A  contemporary  writer  has  said  of 
him:  "A  man  of  unswerving  integrity  and  honor,  one  who  has  a  perfect  apprecia- 
tion of  the  higher  ethics  of  life,  he  has  gained  and  retained  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  his  fellowmen  and  is  distinctively  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  state, 
with  whose  interests  he  has  been  identified  throughout  his  entire  life.  While  he 
has  not  been  entirely  free  from  that  criticism  which  always  meets  the  political 
leader,  the  opposition  entertains  the  highest  esteem  for  his  personal  worth  and  the 
integrity  of  his  motives.  He  has  the  enviable  reputation  throughout  the  state 
as  a  man  'who  never  went  back  on  a  friend.'  Distinguished  honors  have  come  to 
him  in  his  political  life,  the  democratic  party  gaining  a  valuable  accession  to  its 
ranks  when  he  became  one  of  its  stalwart  supporters.  If  other  men  who  have 
control  of  industrial  and  commercial  enterprises  would  realize  that  they  owe  a 
duty  to  their  country  and  would  enter  into  politics,  the  welfare  of  the  nation 
would  be  greatly  augmented,  for  what  the  world  needs  is  men  in  charge  of  its 
affairs  who  have  keen  foresight,  business  sagacity  and  sound  judgment  and  whose 
patriotism  is  above  question."  Many  charitalile  deeds  figure  in  the  life  history  of 
Mr.  Stephens,  all  unostentatiously  performed.  Friendship  is  his  in  notable  measure, 
for  he  has  those  qualities  which  "bind  men  to  him  with  hoops  of  steel."  He  has 
held  high  ideals  and   has  ever  endeavored   to   raise  himself   to   their   level. 


WILLIAM  B.  COWEN. 


For  forty-two  years  William  B.  Cowen  has  been  a  representative  of  the  National 
Bank  of  Commerce  in  St.  Louis.  His  lite  record  is  the  stimulating  story  of  earnest 
endeavor,  resulting  in  a  consistent  progress  that  has  brought  him  to  a  position  of 
executive  control  in  connection  with  one  of  the  strongest  financial  concerns  of  the  city. 
Moreover,  he  is  a  native  son  of  St.  Louis,  his  birth  having  here  occurred  May  28,  1861, 
his  parents  being  Alexander  H.  and  Maria  (May)  Cowen.  The  father,  a  native  of 
Eagland,  came  to  St.  Louis  in  1848  from  Kingston.  Jamaica,  and  in  this  city  engaged  in 
the  merchandise  brokerage  business,  handling  southern  products.  He  departed  this  life 
December  8,  1890,  while  his  wife,  a  native  of  Ireland,  passed  away  on  the  22d  of  May, 
1906. 

The  early  educational  advantages  enjoyed  by  William  B.  Cowen  were  of  the  Catholic 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  77 

parochial  schools;  later  he  became  a  pupil  in  Miss  Bryne's  private  school  and  subse- 
quently passed  through  consecutive  grades  in  the  public  schools  until  he  became  a  high 
school  student.  Before  the  time  of  graduation,  however,  he  had  made  his  initial  start 
in  business  life  by  accepting  a  position  in  the  Bank  of  Commerce  on  the  1st  of  October, 
1878.  FVom  a  humble  clerkship  he  has  gradually  progi-essed,  learning  more  and  more 
of  the  banking  business  with  the  passing  years,  and  in  1898  his  developed  powers  secured 
for  him  the  position  ef  assistant  cashier.  He  thus  served  for  a  decade  and  in  February, 
1908,  was  elected  vice  president  and  director  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce.  It  has 
been  said  of  him:  "Mr.  Cowen  is  a  man  of  decision  and  in  business  expression  is  short, 
direct,  decisive  and  substantial.  His  views  do  not  need  elaboration,  as  he  has  the 
faculty  of  making  his  statements  so  graphic,  concise  and  transparent  that  they  are 
easily  comprehended.  While  he  seems  to  arrive  at  conclusions  quickly,  it  is  because  he 
has  pondered  over  the  question  previously;  not  because  he  knew  that  he  would  be 
called  on  to  meet  it,  but  because  he  desired  to  inform  himself  concerning  every  phase 
of  the  business  and  to  prepare  for  any  contingency  that  might  arise.  His  position  upon 
any  question  of  vital  importance  is  never  an  equivocal  one,  for  he  stands  firm  in 
support  of  what  he  believes  to  be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  business  or  of  the  general 
public.  One  of  the  elements  in  his  success  is  his  capacity  for  giving  infinite  attention 
to  details,  without  which  no  man  can  fully  master  any  enterprise."  The  Bulletin  of 
Commerce  characterized  Mr.  Cowen  as  "quiet,  unostentatious,  sagacious,  candid,  quietly 
aggressive,  always  out  of  the  public  clamor,  a  man  of  high  ideals  and  unassailable 
morals,  whose  personality  can  creditably  stand  the  closest  analysis." 

While  the  years  have  brought  to  Mr.  Cowan  a  wide  acquaintance  in  business  and 
financial  circles  he  is  equally  well  known  to  the  representatives  of  the  club  life  and  social 
interests  of  St.  Louis.  He  has  membership  with  the  Bellerive  Country  Club,  the  Racquet 
Club,  St.  Louis  Club,  the  Missouri  Amateur  Athletic  Association  and  with  the  Amateur 
Triple  A  Athletic  Club  of  St.  Louis,  and  of  the  last  named  was  one  of  the  organizers. 
His  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  connection  with  the  Catholic  cathedral.  In  all 
matters  of  citizenship  he  has  closely  studied  the  needs  and  opportunities  of  St.  Louis 
and  has  sought  to  promote  civic  standards  of  the  highest  worth.  He  has  never  allowed 
business  so  to  monopolize  his  time  and  attention  as  to  shut  out  opportunity  for  plans 
and  movements  tor  the  general  good;  on  the  contrary,  he  fully  meets  the  obligations  and 
duties  of  citizenship  while  at  the  same  time  enjoying  its  opportunities  and  its  privi- 
leges, and  in  St.  Louis  where  he  has  spent  his  entire  life,  Mr.  Cowen  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem,  not  only  by  reason  of  what  he  has  accomplished  in  financial  circles, 
but  also  owing  to  his  personal  worth. 


FRED  A.  WISLIZENUS. 


Fred  A.  Wislizenus,  member  of  the  St.  Louis  bar,  was  born  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
May  21,  1851.  His  father,  Dr.  Adolph  W.  Wislizenus,  who  passed  away  in  1889,  was  of 
Polish  descent.  His  ancestors  went  to  Hungary  because  of  religious  persecution  and 
after  a  generation  there,  settled  in  Germany.  Dr.  Wislizenus  was  prominent  in  an 
attempt  to  overthrow  the  Prussian  government  and  because  of  this  was  compelled  to 
fiee  to  Switzerland.  It  was  there  that  he  obtained  his  professional  degree  of  M.  D.  in 
1833,  and  in  1835  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  was  a  man  of  high  standing  in 
scientific  circles  and  made  several  trips  of  investigation  which  created  much  interest 
at  that  time.  One  of  his  trips  was  to  Mexico  a  short  time  prior  to  the  Mexican  war. 
He  was  captured  by  the  Mexicans,  but  escaped  after  many  hardships.  An  account  of 
this  trip  was  published  under  the  auspices  of  the  United  States  government.  In  1839  he 
made  a  trip  into  the  Rocky  Mountains,  then  an  almost  unknown  and  unexplored  region, 
in  which  he  obtained  much  information  of  scientific  value,  and  his  journal  of  that  trip, 
written  in  German  and  translated  into  English  by  his  son,  is  still  a  rare  and  valued  book. 
He  was  married  in  Constantinople,  to  Miss  Lucy  Crane,  who  was  there  residing  with 
her  sister,  Mrs.  Marsh,  and  in  1852  they  removed  to  St.  Louis.  Mrs.  Wislizenus  was  a 
representative  of  an  old  New  England  family,  her  ancestors  having  settled  in  Massa- 
chusetts in  1730.  Her  sister  was  the  wife  of  George  P.  Marsh,  United  States  ambassador 
at  Constantinople  in  1850,  and  afterward  United  States  ambassador  to  Italy,  where  he 
served  for  many  years  beginning  in  1861.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Wislizenus  occurred  in 
1895.     It  was  in  1852  that  the  parents  of  Fred  A.  Wislizenus  became  residents  of   St. 


78  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Louis,  so  that  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed  in  this  city,  where  he  attended  a 
private  German  school,  also  the  public  school.  He  afterward  prepared  tor  college  at 
the  Smith  Academy  in  St.  Louis  and  was  graduated  from  Washington  University  with 
the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  in  1870.  In  1872  he  won  the  LL.  B.  degree  upon  the  com- 
pletion of  the  course  in  Washington  University.  Following  his  graduation  he  spent  two 
years  in  Europe,  making  his  headquarters  at  Rome  and  Florence.  In  1875  he  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  law  in  St.  Louis  and  therein  continued  active  until  1906  when  he 
became  one  of  the  professors  in  the  Washington  University  Law  School,  occupying  this 
position  for  ten  years.  He  has  since  resumed  the  private  practice  of  law,  principally 
in  an  advisory  capacity. 

On  the  23d  of  August,  1882,  at  Breckenridge,  Colorado,  Mr.  Wislizenus  was  married 
to  Miss  Maud  Berman,  of  St.  Louis,  who  died  here  January  15,  1902.  In  politics  Mr. 
Wislizenus  is  independent  and  religiously  he  is  connected  with  the  Unitarian  church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Louis  Historical  Society  and  also  of  the  St.  Louis  Academy 
of  Science. 


JOHN  FRANCISCO  RICHARDS. 

John  Francisco  Richards  of  Kansas  City,  who  has  been  instrumental  in  the 
upbuilding  of  one  of  the  largest  hardware  enterprises  of  the  west,  operating  under 
the  name  of  the  Richards  &  Conover  Hardware-Company,  has  also  been  a  recognized 
factor  in  the  promotion  of  public  interests  of  worth  and  was  largely  instrumental  in 
bringing  about  the  municipal  ownership  of  the  waterworks  of  Kansas  City.  His 
residence  in  this  state  dates  from  an  early  day,  although  he  was  born  at  Warm 
Springs,  Bath  county,  Virginia,  October  23,  1834,  his  parents  being  Walter  and 
Nancy  (Mayse)  Richards,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion,  the  lat- 
ter being  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Mayse,  who  served  in  the  Indian  wars  of  Virginia 
and  on  one  occasion  was  wounded  by  the  red  men,  causing  the  amputation  of  his 
leg  twenty  years  later.  He  also  served  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  Richards  were  born  several  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, namely:  Elizabeth  Ann,  Louisa,  Maria,  Mary  Matilda,  William  C,  George, 
Blackwell  Shelton,  Thomas  and  John  F.  In  the  year  1836  the  father  started  with 
his  family  from  Virginia,  to  Missouri,  proceeding  to  Guyandotte,  a  small  town  on  the 
Ohio  river,  where  the  parents  and  younger  children  embarked  on  a  steamboat  for 
Cairo,  Illinois,  approaching  thence  by  boat  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  The  elder  sons 
took  teams  and  servants  overland  from  Guyandotte.  joining  the  family  at  St.  Louis. 
On  leaving  that  city  they  went  to  St.  Charles,  Missouri,  and  while  there  the  father 
became  ill  and  passed  away.  Not  long  afterward  the  family  took  up  their  abode  at 
New  Franklin,  opposite  Boonville,  Missouri,  and  the  first  distinct  recollections  of 
John  F.  Richards  center  about  that  town.  At  a  subsequent  period  the  family  re- 
moved to  Rocheport  on  the  Missouri  river  and  in  1842  became  residents  of  Boonville, 
where  for  several  years  the  elder  sons  engaged  in  business.  John  F.  Richards  can 
well  remember  the  great  flood  of  184  4,  although  he  was  but  ten  years  of  age  at  the 
time.  In  184  6  his  mother  removed  to  St.  Louis,  where  she  resided  until  her  death  In 
September,  1848. 

With  the  removal  to  St.  Louis  John  Francisco  Richards  became  a  pupil  in  the 
public  schools  of  this  city,  which  he  attended  to  1848.  Following  the  death  of  his 
mother  he  resided  at  Arrow  Rock,  Missouri,  during  the  winter  of  184  8-9  and  there 
attended  school  while  making  his  home  with  his  sister  Louisa,  the  wife  of  Henry 
C.  Miller.     She,  however,  was  one  of  the  victims  of  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1849. 

In  September  of  that  year,  when  a  youth  of  fifteen,  John  F.  Richards  went  to 
Jackson  county,  Missouri,  and  obtained  employment  in  a  country  stQre,  in  which 
he  continued  until  the  spring  of  185  3.  The  store  was  located  at  Sibley,  at  a  point 
where  the  Santa  Fe  bridge  now  crosses  the  Missouri  river,  and  the  town  was  the 
old  outfitting  station  and  in  the  early  days  was  the  site  of  Fort  Osage,  the  military 
garrison,  which  was  afterward  removed  to  Fort  Leavenworth.  Mr.  Richards  spent 
the  winter  of  1852-3  as  a  student  in  an  academy  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Missouri,  and  in 
the  spring  of  the  latter  year  became  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  Captain  John  S.  Shaw, 
a  well  known  Indian  trader,  formerly  of  St.  Charles,  Missouri,  who  had  a  govern- 
ment license  to  trade  with  the  Sioux,  Cheyenne  and  other  Indian  tribes.     Ox  teams 


JOHN  F.  RICHARDS 


Til  «!¥  T9M     1 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  81 

were  made  up  at  Westport,  Missouri,  and  proceeded  thence  to  Port  Leavenworth, 
where  they  loaded  for  the  Indian  country,  which  at  that  time  comprised  the  territory 
within  the  present  borders  of  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Wyoming  and  Colorado.  Most  of 
the  trading  was  done  along  the  North  Platte  river  from  Scottsbluff  to  Green  River, 
on  the  Salt  Lake  trail,  and  it  required  about  fifteen  months  to  make  a  trading  trip 
with  a  large  train.  < 

In  1854  Mr.  Richards  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  was  clerk  on  a  Missouri  river 
steamboat  until  September  when  through  the  influence  of  Captain  Shaw  he  was 
given  a  position  with  Child,  Pratt  &  Company,  hardware  merchants  of  3t.  Louis, 
and  thus  started  out  along  the  line  in  which  he  has  since  been  so  successfully  and 
prominently  engaged.  His  initial  salary  in  this  connection  was  twenty-five  dollars 
per  month,  a  sum,  however,  that  was  increased  from  time  to  time  during  the  four 
years  of  his  connection  with  that  house.  In  185  7  he  began  business  on  his  own 
account  by  establishing  a  store  in  Leavenworth,  then  one  of  the  Important  cities 
along  the  Missouri  river.  The  firm  by  which  he  had  been  employed  extended  to 
him  credit  and  he  also  invested  his  modest  capital  in  a  stock  of  hardware  which 
he  transported  by  steamboat  to  Leavenworth,  where  he  arrived  March  4,  1857,  the 
stock  being  valued  at  seventeen  hundred  dollars.  About  a  week  was  consumed  by 
the  boat  in  making  the  trip  from  St.  Louis  to  Leavenworth.  In  the  meantime  Mr. 
Richards  had  covered  the  same  ground  on  a  passenger  boat  and  by  the  time  the 
stock  arrived  he  had  rented  one-half  of  a  frame  building  twenty-tour  by  forty  feet 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  Second  and  Cherokee  streets,  to  be  used  for  store  pur- 
poses. At  that  time  the  freight  rate  was  thirty-five  cents  per  hundred  pound  with- 
out classification.  Mr.  Richards  slept  in  his  store  in  those  days  and  bent  every 
energy  toward  the  upbuilding  of  his  trade.  Leavenworth  was  at  that  day  an  out- 
fitting place  for  points  west,  especially  the  frontier  military  posts.  As  emigration 
into  Kansas  rapidly  increased  there  was  heavy  demand  for  the  merchandise  which 
he  carried  and  he  was  soon  obliged  to  seek  larger  quarters,  removing  to  a  building 
three  stories  and  basement  in  height  and  considered  at  that  time  the  finest  buiding 
of  the  town.  Recognizing  the  value  of  pictorial  advertising  even  at  that  early  day, 
Mr.  Richards  had  a  large  poster  two  and  a  half  by  three  feet  printed  in  St.  Louis 
as  an  announcement  of  his  new  store  at  Leavenworth.  This  poster  is  now  one  o£ 
the  interesting  documents  of  the  pioneer  mercantile  history  of  the  Missouri  river 
valley.  The  poster  advertised  the  various  things  handled  by  Mr.  Richards,  includ- 
ing plows,  horse-power  mills  and  the  first  combined  mower  and  reaper,  and  on  the 
poster  appeared  the  words:  "Hardware  for  Emigrants,  Farmers  and  the  whole  of 
Kansas  and  Missouri  at  the  new  three  story  brick  building,  corner  of  Delaware  and 
Third  streets.  Call  at  J.  F.  Richards'  pioneer  hardware  store  and  agricultural  ware- 
house, Leavenworth  City,  K.  T."  The  initials  stood  for  Kansas  Territory,  for  the 
state  at  that  time  had  not  been  admitted  to  the  Union.  In  1862  Mr.  Richards  con- 
solidated his  interests  with  those  of  W.  E.  Chamberlain  under  the  firm  style  of 
Richards  &  Chamberlain,  but  in  1866  purchased  the  stock  of  his  partner  and  at 
that  time  John  Conover  became  identified  with  the  business  as  the  pioneer  hard- 
ware traveling  salesman  of  Kansas.  In  18  70  he  was  admitted  to  a  partnership  under 
the  style  of  J.  F.  Richards  &  Company  and  they  operated  very  successfully  in  Leaven- 
worth until  18  84,  when  they  sold  the  business  to  Park-Crancer  &  Company.  In 
the  meantime,  or  in  1875,  they  had  established  a  house  at  Fifth  and  Delaware  streets 
in  Kansas  City  and  the  growth  of  their  trade  here  now  requires  their  undivided 
attention.  Owing  to  the  increase  in  their  business  it  became  necessary  to  secure 
larger  quarters  in  18  81  and  they  erected  a  building  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Fifth 
and  Wyandotte  streets,  while  in  1882  the  business  was  incorporated  under  the  name 
of  the  Richards  &  Conover  Hardware  Company.  In  1902  they  erected  a  new  build- 
ing at  the  northwest  corner  of  Fifth  and  Wyandotte  streets,  thus  securing  a  fioor 
space  of  seven  acres.  In  19  06  they  established  a  branch  house  at  Oklahoma  City. 
Since  coming  to  Kansas  City  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  ago  Mr.  Richards  has 
been  connected  with  the  commercial  development  here  and  his  labors  have  been  an 
Important  element  in  bringing  about  present-day  conditions  in  mercantile  circles. 
Six  years  after  embarking  in  business  on  his  own  account  the  firm  name  of  J.  F. 
Richards  &  Company  was  adopted  and  the  business  has  broadened  in  its  scope  to 
include  both  the  wholesale  and  retail  trade.  In  1881  it  was  incorporated  as  the 
Richards  &  Conover  Company  and  under  that  style  one  of  the  largest  enterprises  of 
the  kind  in  the  west  has  been  developed.  Mr.  Richards  is  a  man  of  sound  judgment 
and  keen  discrimination  and  it  was  after  his  removal  to  Kansas  City  that  his  estab- 

Vol.  Ill— 6 


82  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

lishment  became  recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost  commercial  interests  here.  He 
also  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Kansas  City,  was 
made  a  member  of  its  board  of  directors  and  is  now  chairman  of  the  board.  He 
had  formerly  been  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
which  was  the  first  national  bank  established  in  the  state,  and  he  still  retains  his 
place  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  that  institution.  He  is  now,  however, 
practically  living  retired  from  active  connection  with  business,  but  the  enterprises 
with  which  he  has  been  associated  still  stand  as  monuments  to  his  initiative,  his 
progressiveness  and  business  discernment. 

During  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Richards  was  a  member  for  a  short  time 
of  Company  C,  Nineteenth  Kansas  Militia,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Westport 
on  the  23d  of  October,  1S64,  it  being  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  his  birth.  His 
political  support  has  ever  been  given  to  the  democratic  party  and  he  has  long  been 
accounted  one  of  the  strong  factors  in  the  organization,  yet  he  has  never  sought  or 
desired  political  preferment.  He  has  ever  stood  for  those  interests  which  make  for 
the  public  good  and  has  cooperated  heartily  with  every  movement  of  civic  worth. 
His  efforts  in  behalf  of  municipal  ownership  of  the  waterworks  resulted  most  suc- 
cessfully. He  recognized  the  value  of  city  control  of  this  public  utility  and  was 
untiring  until  the  results  desired  were  accomplished.  He  has  been  the  champion  of 
many  other  progressive  public  measures  and  his  labors  have  been  far-reaching  and 
beneficial. 

On  the  16th  of  June,  1857,  Mr.  Richards  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha 
A,  Harrelson,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  A.  Harrelson,  of  Sibley,  Missouri.  His  wife 
passed  away  in  1874,  leaving  seven  children,  of  whom  four  are  living:  May,  now  the 
wife  of  John  G.  Waples,  of  Fort  Worth,  Texas;  Helen,  the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  E.  Logan, 
of  Kansas  City;  Walter  B.,  who  is  the  vice  president  of  the  Richards  &  Conover 
Hardware  Company;  and  George  B.,  who  is  the  secretary  of  the  company.  Mr.  Rich- 
ards was  again  married  December  1,  1877,  when  Mrs.  L.  M.  Durfee,  of  Fairport,  New- 
York,  became  his  wife.      She  passed  away  in-  Kansas  City,  December   19,   1906. 

Mr.  Richards  has  long  been  identified  with  Masonic  interests  and  has  attained 
the  Knight  Templar  degree  in  the  York  Rite,  exemplifying  at  all  times  the  benefi- 
cent spirit  of  the  craft  and  its  teachings  concerning  the  brotherhood  of  mankind  and 
the  obligations  thereby  imposed.  In  connection  with  Mr.  Richards'  services  as 
president  of  the  Commercial  Club  in  1902  and  1903  he  was  very  active  during  the 
flood  in  the  spring  of  1903.  The  damage  done  to  the  city  and  surrounding  country 
was  very  great,  the  water  rising  to  a  height  of  thirty-five  feet  above  low  water  gauge, 
covering  the  low  lands  to  a  depth  of  ten  feet.  The  suffering  caused  by  such  a  flood 
was  promptly  met  by  the  city  officials  in  cooperation  with  the  Commercial  Club,  so 
that  within  a  month  the  life  of  the  city  rapidly  recovered  and  business  was  fully 
resumed.  He  was  a  member  of  the  park  board  at  the  time  Mr.  Swope  gave  to  the 
city  thirteen  hundred  acres  of  land,  constituting  what  is  now  Swope  Park.  Mr. 
Richards  was  a  most  active  member  of  the  board  at  that  period  and  was  largely 
instrumental  not  only  in  having  the  park  laid  out  but  in  erecting  the  building  at 
the  entrance,  the  shelter  house  and  many  other  buildings,  and  otherwise  promot- 
ting  the  work  of  development  and  improvement.  His  lite  has  ever  been  actuated 
by  a  public-spirited  devotion  to  the  general  good.  He  stands  for  progress  and  im- 
provement in  all  that  has  to  do  with  the  welfare  of  his  city  and  state  and  his  has 
been  a  most  active  and  useful  life,  attended  with  beneficial  and  far-reaching  results. 
He  is  now  nearing  the  eighty-sixth  milestone  on  life's  journey,  a  man  who  can  look 
back  over  the  past  without  regret  because  of  the  wise  use  which  he  has  made  of  his 
time,  his  talents  and  his  opportunities. 


W.   PALMER   CLARKSON. 


Longfellow  said:  "The  talent  of  success  is  nothing  more  than  doing  what  you 
can  do  well,  without  a  thought  of  fame,"  and  this  is  perhaps  no  more  clearly  illus- 
trated in  any  life  record  in  this  work  than  in  that  of  W.  Palmer  Clarkson,  who,  utiliz- 
ing his  opportunities,  has  won  success  and  prominence  in  professional  and  business 
circles  and  at  the  same  time  has  found  opportunity  to  render  needed  aid  to  his  fellow- 
men  and  to  give  assistance  to  those  forces  which  are  looking  to  the  uplift  of  the 
individual  and  the  benefit  of  mankind  in  general.     The  purpose  of  his  life  seems  to 


W.  PALMER  CLARKSON 


^'^U^^'o,    ,.. 


^e.r- 


>n 


M 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  85 

be  to  make  his  native  talents  subserve  the  demands  which  conditions  ot  society  im- 
pose at  the  present  time,  and  by  reason  of  the  mature  judgment  which  characterizes 
his  efforts  he  stands  today  as  a  splendid  representative  o£  the  prominent  lawyers 
and  manufacturers  to  whom  business  is  but  one  phase  of  life  and  does  not  exclude 
his  active  participation  in  and  support  of  the  other  vital  interests  which  go  to  make 
up  human  existence. 

Mr.  Clarkson  is  a  native  of  Essex  county,  Virginia,  and  is  desecnded  from  Eng- 
lish ancestry,  the  family  having  been  founded  in  the  new  world  by  his  great-great- 
grandfather, James  Clarkson,  who  became  a  resident  of  Essex  county  in  1777.  The 
ancestral  home,  known  as  Maple  Valley,  was  built  by  his  son,  John  Clarkson,  and  is 
a  characteristic  Virginia  plantation  home,  which  lay  in  the  path  of  the  contending 
armies  during  the  Civil  war,  but  the  devastation  then  caused  has  been  since  wiped 
out  and  the  place  remains  one  of  the  attractive  old  residences  of  that  part  ot  the 
state,  having  been  in  possession  of  the  family  for  more  than  a  century. 

It  was  in  the  old  family  residence  that  James  Livingston  Clarkson  was  born 
and  reared  and  when  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  he  joined  the  Confederate  army  as  a 
member  of  the  Ninth  Virginia  Cavalry  under  command  of  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart. 
Following  the  close  of  the  war  he  became  a  resident  of  Iowa  and  nine  years  later 
removed  to  southeastern  Missouri,  where  he  established  a  lumber  business,  and  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  business  made  him  in  time  the  president  of  the  Clark- 
son Sawmill  Company  and  also  of  the  Missouri  Southern  Railroad  Company.  Suc- 
cess attended  his  various  undertakings  until  189  3,  when  he  was  able  to  retire  from 
active  business,  establishing  his  home  on  a  farm  near  Poplar  Bluff,  Missouri.  In 
early  manhood  he  married  Loulie  C.  Turner,  a  native  of  King  and  Queen  county, 
Virginia,  who  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  three  years.  Both  her  father  and 
grandfather  bore  the  name  of  Benjamin  Harrison  Turner  and  were  relatives  ot 
William  Henry  Harrison  and  Benjamin  Harrison,  former  president  of  the  United 
States.     The  death  ot  Mrs.  Clarkson  occurred  in  1901. 

W.  Palmer  Clarkson,  son  of  James  Livingston  and  Loulie  C.  (Turner)  Clarkson, 
was  born  February  13,  1867,  was  taken  to  Iowa  in  his  infancy  and  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Missouri  when  a  young  lad.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis, 
being  graduated  from  the  Central  high  school  in  1887,  and  afterward  became  a  student 
in  the  St.  Louis  Law  School,  receiving  the  degree  ot  Bachelor  of  Laws  upon  graduation 
with  the  class  of  1889.  He  entered  at  once  upon  active  practice  and  so  continued 
until  August,  1902,  winning  a  place  among  the  prominent  lawyers  of  the  city,  in 
which  connection  he  represented  the  Missouri  Southern  Railroad  Company,  the 
Fidelity  &  Casualty  Insurance  Company,  the  Clarkson  Sawmill  Company,  and  other 
important  corporations.  For  the  past  eighteen  years,  however,  his  attention  has 
been  largely  concentrated  upon  the  Interests  of  the  Pioneer  Cooperage  Company,  of 
which  he  is  vice  president  and  attorney.  This  company  is  operating  extensively  in 
St.  Louis  and  Chicago  and  also  has  numerous  stave  and  heading  factories  in  the 
south,  its  business  having  reached  extensive  proportions.  In  this  connection  Mr. 
Clarkson  has  acquainted  himself  with  every  phase  of  the  cooperage  business  and 
for  many  years  has  bent  his  energies  to  administrative  direction,  executive  control 
and  constructive  effort.  His  path  has  never  been  strewn  with  the  wreck  of  other 
men's  fortunes,  the  business  being  upbuilded  through  fair  and  progressive  methods, 
through  well  formulated  plans  and  indefatigable  energy.  In  addition  to  his  othet 
Interests  Mr.  Clarkson  is  the  president  of  the  Brown  Estate  Company  of  St.  Louis, 
of  the  Clark-Gay  Manufacturing  Company  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  and  is  a  direc- 
tor ot  the  Merchants  Laclede  National  Bank  of  St.  Louis. 

On  the  18th  ot  October,  1897,  Mr.  Clarkson  was  married  to  Miss  Marie  Soulard 
Turner,  daughter  ot  the  late  General  John  W.  Turner,  who  tor  eleven  years  was 
street  commissioner  of  St.  Louis.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarkson  have  two  sons  and  a 
daughter,  John  Turner,  Marie  Louise  and  Palmer  Livingston,  born  in  1900,  1902 
and  1906  respectively. 

Mr.  Clarkson  has  always  voted  with  the  democratic  party  and  in  1902  received 
the  mayoralty  appointment  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  board  of  education  and  in  April, 
1905,  was  elected  tor  a  short  term,  being  chosen  vice  president  of  the  board  in  Octo- 
ber of  that  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Noonday  Club,  the  St.  Louis  Club  and  the 
Bellerive  Country  Club,  of  which  he  was  vice  president  for  two  years.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce  and  is  serving  on  its  executive  committee. 
Professionally  his  membership  connections  are  with  the  St.  Louis  and  Missouri 
Bar  Associations  and  he  is  identified  also  with  business  organizations,   being  now 


86  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

the  president  ot  the  Manufacturers'  Association,  of  which  he  was  also  chief  execu- 
tive in  1919.  He  was  liliewise  president  of  the  National  Coopers'  Association  in 
1908  and  1909  and  is  a  member  ot  the  executive  committee  of  the  Employers' 
Association.  He  is  thus  closely  studying  many  problems  having  to  do  with  labor 
conditions  and  civic  affairs  and  in  connection  with  all  of  the  great  political,  sociologi- 
cal and  economic  questions  of  the  day  he  is  so  well  versed  that  his  expressed  opin- 
ions always  receive  earnest  consideration  and  carry  much  weight.  A  contemporary 
writer  has  said  of  him:  "In  spirit  he  is  democratic,  recognizing  true  worth  in  others 
and  willing  at  all  times  to  accord  the  courtesy  of  an  interview.  He  has  been  a 
student  of  those  questions  which  are  a  matter  of  vital  interest  to  the  statesman 
and  the  man  ot  affairs  and  keeps  abreast  with  the  thinking  men  of  the  age  in  the 
trend  of  modern  development  and  progress.  None  question  the  integrity  ot  his 
purposes  or  the  honesty  ot  his  actions.  With  him  success  in  life  has  been  reached 
by  the  employment  of  most  honorable  methods  and  such  is  the  regard  held  tor 
him  personally  and  in  a  business  way  that  his  opinions  and  counsels  are  eagerly 
sought  and  in  many  cases  are  received  as  authoritative." 

That  which  above  all  other  things  actuates  Mr.  Clarkson  and  permeates  and 
directs  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen  is  his  religious  faith.  He  has  long  been 
a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  for  nine  years  has  been  president  of  its 
National  Benevolent  Association,  which  conducts  eleven  orphanages  and  old  people's 
homes  and  a  hospital,  these  institutions  being  located  in  various  states  of  the 
Union.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  United  Christian 
Missionary  Society  of  the  Christian  church  and  it  was  largely  through  his  efforts 
that  the  great  organization  has  just  voted  to  establish  its  general  headquarters  in 
St.  Louis.  He  is  likewise  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Christian 
Board  of  Publication  in  St.  Louis  and  is  an  elder  of  the  Union  Avenue  Christian 
church,  serving  also  as  chairman  and  treasurer  of  the  building  fund  committee 
ot  this  church  since  1900,  during  which  time  there  has  been  erected  a  large  ediiice 
on  Union  and  Enright  avenues  at  a  cost  of  two  hundred  and  ten  thousand  dollars. 
Mr.  Clarkson  is  likewise  a  member  ot  the  executive  committee  of  the  Missouri  State 
Sunday  School  Association  and  a  trustee  of  Christian  College,  Columbia,  Missouri, 
In  fact  there  is  no  good  work  done  in  the  name  of  charity  or  religion  in  which  he 
is  not  interested  and  he  has  long  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
helpful  members  of  the  Christian  denomination  in  Missouri.  His  business  has 
always  balanced  up  with  the  principles  of  truth  and  honor,  and  while  less  tangible 
none  the  less  potent  have  been  the  results  which  he  has  accomplished  tor  the  benefit 
of  his  fellowmen.  His  growing  professional  and  commercial  success  has  meant  to 
him  increased  opportunities  for  good  in  behalf  of  humanity  and  he  is  in  hearty 
sympathy  with  the  broader  spirit  of  the  new  century,  which  is  attacking  many  of 
the  great  problems  to  which  a  former  generation  gave  no  heed,  that  each  individual 
may  have  his  opportunity  for  normal  healthful  growth  and  the  development  of  his 
powers. 


WILLIAM  W.   DAVIS. 


William  W.  Davis,  who  from  the  age  ot  twenty-two  years  has  engaged  in  the 
practice  ot  law  at  Chillicothe  and  in  a  profession  where  advancement  depends  entirely 
upon  individual  merit,  has  gained  a  prominent  position  at  the  bar,  was  born  in  Utica, 
Livingston  county,  Missouri,  March  9,  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  Judge  James  M.  and  Sevilla 
(McKay)  Davis.  His  father  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  lawyer  and  jurist  of  the 
state,  where  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  in  1860.  He  was  born  in  Clark  county, 
Illinois,  September  25,  1837,  a  son  of  Alexander  and  I^riscilla  (McKay)  Davis,  who 
became  pioneer  farming  people  of  Livingston  county,  Missouri.  The  father  acquired 
wild  land,  which  he  gradually  transformed  into  productive  fields,  from  which  he  annu- 
ally gathered  large  crops,  and  as  the  years  passed  he  continued  the  work  of  developing 
his  place  according  to  the  ideas  of  modern  agricultural  improvement.  He  passed  away 
in  Livingston  county  in  1893,  while  his  wife  died  in  1889,  and  both  were  laid  to  rest 
In  Monroe  cemetery  in  Grand  River  township,  Livingston  county.  The  Davis  family 
comes  of  Welsh  ancestry  and  was  founded  in  Virginia  in  early  colonial  days,  the  great- 
great-grandfather  of  William  W.  Davis  being  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war.     The 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  87 

McKay  family  was  of  Scotch  descent  and  was  established  in  Maryland  prior  to  the  war 
which  brought  independence  to  the  nation. 

Judge  James  M.  Davis,  the  father  of  William  W.  Davis,  was  a  lad  of  fifteen  years 
when  in  1852  the  family  home  was  established  in  Livingston  county.  Missouri,  where  he 
continued  his  education  in  one  of  the  old-time  log  schoolhouses  common  at  that  period. 
In  the  summer  months  he  worked  on  the  farm  and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  started 
out  to  provide  tor  his  own  support.  For  one  season  he  was  employed  in  a  sawmill  in 
Livingston  county.  While  attending  school  he  had  displayed  special  aptitude  in  his 
studies  and  in  1858  took  up  the  profession  of  teaching,  devoting  the  summer  months  to 
that  calling,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  studied  law,  it  being  his  earnest  purpose  to 
enter  upon  the  practice  of  law  as  a  life  work.  In  1860  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and 
at  once  engaged  in  practice.  That  he  was  a  close  student  of  the  principles  of  juris- 
prudence was  soon  manifest,  tor  he  was  seldom  if  ever  at  fault  in  the  application  of  a 
legal  principle  or  in  the  citation  of  a  precedent.  In  1913  it  was  written  of  him:  "Gradu- 
ally he  made  a  name  for  himself  and  won  favorable  criticism  for  the  careful  manner 
in  which  he  handled  his  cases.  He  has  remarkable  powers  of  concentration  and  appli- 
cation and  his  retentive  mind  often  excites  the  surprise  of  his  colleagues,  and  as  he 
gathered  experience  he  became  more  and  more  at  home  in  handling  legal  problems 
and  soon  manifested  before  court  and  jury  such  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
law,  and  took  his  point  so  well,  that  he  seldom  lost  a  case.  His  reasoning  is  logical 
and  his  deductions  sound,  and  he  is  not  often  surprised  by  an  unexpected  attack  of 
opposing  counsel."  In  1880  he  was  elected  circuit  court  judge  and  served  upon  the  bench 
for  eleven  years,  his  record  being  in  harmony  with  his  record  as  a  man  and  a  lawyer, 
characterized  by  marked  fidelity  to  duty  and  distinguished  by  a  masterful  grasp  of 
every  problem  presented.  On  retiring  from  the  bench  he  resumed  the  private  practice 
of  law.  He  also  presided  for  two  years  over  the  county  court  and  had  filled  the  office 
Of  prosecuting  attorney  for  the  county  for  a  two  years'  term. 

Judge  Davis  was  married  October  18,  1863,  to  Miss  Sevilla  McKay,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Rebecca  McKay,  of  Wapello,  Iowa,  where  the  mother  passed  away,  while 
the  father  died  while  en  route  to  California  in  1850.  Judge  and  Mrs.  Davis  became  the 
parents  of  two  children,  both  sons  and  both  well  known  members  of  the  bar.  The  elder, 
Archibald  B.  Davis,  like  his  father  has  served  as  judge  of  the  thirty-sixth  judicial  circuit 
and  following  his  admission  to  the  bar  the  younger  son,  William  W.,  became  his  father's 
partner  in  practice.  Aside  from  his  profession  Judge  Davis  became  widely  known. 
He  made  extensive  investments  in  property,  becoming  the  owner  of  three  thousand 
acres  of  valuable  farm  land  and  large  city  realty  holdings.  He  was  also  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Chillicothe  and  its  first  president,  and  likewise 
founded  several  other  banks  in  Livingston  county.  He  was  a  lifelong  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  ever  a  most  interested  supporter  of  its  work.  One  of 
his  biographers  has  said  of  him:  "From  whatever  angle  we  may  consider  the  life  work 
of  Judge  Davis,  we  find  that  in  all  relations  he  has  done  his  full  share  of  work  and  has 
done  It  well.  His  record  is  indeed  remarkable  and  he  can  look  back  proudly  upon  his 
career,  no  phase  or  wrinkle  of  which  needs  to  fear  the  light.  He  is  a  man  strongly 
marked  by  character  yet  soft-hearted,  kind  and  genial  and,  though  a  forceful  element 
in  the  community,  popular  and  beloved,  enjoying  the  highest  regard  and  esteem  of  all 
who  know  him.  He  is  successful  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  broad-minded  and 
tolerant,  yet  shrewd  and  of  wide  experience.  Never  grasping  or  mercenary,  believing  in 
something  greater  than  mere  material  wealth,  he  has  in  the  course  of  a  long  life,  simply 
and  unostentatiously  spent,  become  a  factor  for  good  in  almost  every  phase  of  endeavor." 
He  continued  practicing  law  until  his  death  on  August  27,  1918.  His  widow  still  occupies 
the  old  home  mansion  in  Chillicothe. 

His  son,  William  W.  Davis,  resided  at  the  family  home  at  Utica  until  sixteen  years 
of  age  and  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  town,  while  following 
the  removal  of  the  family  to  Chillicothe  in  1887,  he  continued  his  education  in  the 
Chillicothe  high  school.  He  then  entered  upon  the  study  of  law  under  the  direction  of 
his  father,  who  at  that  time  was  circuit  judge.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  when  but 
eighteen  years  of  age  and  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-two  entered  actively  upon  the 
work  of  the  profession,  to  which  he  has  since  given  his  attention,  gaining  a  creditable 
position  as  a  representative  of  the  legal  fraternity  of  this  part  of  the  state.  Other 
interests,  too,  have  claimed  his  energy.  For  several  years  past  he  has  conducted  a  farm 
and  is  engaged  successfully  in  the  breeding  of  hogs  and  other  live  stock.  His  law 
practice  has  always  been  of  an  important  character  and  he  now  represents  three  banks 


88  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

in  Chillicotlie,  also  the  Wabash  Railroad  and  several  banking  institutions  of  surrounding 
counties. 

In  1909  William  W.  Davis  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lula  Hicklin,  a  daughter 
of  F^'ank  Hicklin,  of  Livingston  county.  They  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  social 
circles  and  enj5y  the  warm  regard  of  many  friends.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  republican  in  his 
political  views  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  The 
sterling  traits  of  his  character  are  widely  recognized,  while  his  ability  has  gained  for 
him  the  high  position  which  he  occupies  at  the  bar  and  as  a  business  man. 


JOHN  FRANCIS  QUEENY. 


John  Francis  Queeny,  who  without  invidious  distinction  may  be  termed  one  of 
the  leading  business  men  and  citizens  of  St.  Louis,  being  known  throughout  the 
country  as  the  "father"  of  the  American  chemical  industry,  became  president  and 
treasurer  of  the  Monsanto  Chemical  Works  at  the  time  of  incorporation  in  19  01 
and  is  now  serving  as  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors.  He  was  born  in  Chicago, 
Illinois,  August  17,  185  9,  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Flaherty)  Queeny,  who  were 
natives  of  Ireland  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  young  manhood  and  young 
womanhood,  locating  in  Chicago,  where  they  were  subsequently  married.  The 
father,  an  architect  by  profession,  became  identified  with  contracting  and  building 
interests  in  that  city  and  was  thus  actively  and  successfully  engaged  until  the  great 
Chicago   fire  of   1871   brought  financial   disaster. 

,  John  Francis  Queeny,  the  eldest  of  five  children,  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  city  to  the  age  of  twelve  years,  when  occurred  the  great  conflagration 
which  totally  destroyed  his  father's  property  and  rendered  the  family  penniless. 
Thus  obliged  to  provide  for  his  own  support,  he  secured  a  position  in  the  whole- 
sale drug  establishment  of  Tolman  &  King  of  Chicago,  being  employed  as  office 
boy  at  a  salary  of  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  week.  He  remained  with  that  concern 
for  a  period  of  eleven  years  and  won  gradual  promotion  until  his  weekly  remuneration 
had  been  increased  to  eighteen  dollars.  In  1881  he  made  his  way  south  to  New 
Orleans,  where  he  became  connected  as  purchasing  agent  with  the  wholesale  drug 
house  of  I.  L.  Lyons  &  Company,  which  he  thus  represented  for  a  decade.  From 
1892  until  1894  he  served  as  buyer  in  the  drug  department  of  the  Meyer  Brothers 
Drug  Company  of  St.  Louis  and  subsequently  became  manager  of  the  sales  depart- 
ment of  Merck  &  Company,  chemical  manufacturers  of  New  York,  continuing  in 
that  connection  from  1894  until  1897.  In  the  latter  year  he  again  became  buyer 
for  the  Meyer  Brothers  Drug  Company,  acting  in  that  capacity  until  1906,  when 
he  opened  a  local  branch  as  manager  for,  the  Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten 
Company  of  Philadelphia.  In  1907  he  resigned  in  order  to  devote  his  entire  time 
to  the  interests  of  the  Monsanto  Chemical  Works,  which  had  been  incorporated  in 
1901   and   of  which   he   became   president  and  treasurer. 

The  following  is  an  excerpt  from  a  review  of  his  business  career  which  ap- 
peared in  "Greater  St.  Louis,"  the  official  bulletin  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce: 
"While  connected  with  the  Meyer  Brothers  Drug  Company,  the  largest  concern 
of  its  kind  in  the  world,  Mr.  Queeny  had  all  the  opportunity  necessary  for  observing 
the  conditions  surrounding  both  the  drug  and  chemical  markets.  His  first  deduc- 
tion from  this  study  was  concerning  the  sulphur  mines  of  Louisiana  and  their  near- 
ness to  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Queeny's  idea  was  that  this  city  would  be  the  proper  place 
for  the  refining  of  this  product.  Three  years  after  his  arrival  here,  therefore, 
he  invested  six  thousand  dollars  of  his  savings  in  an  East  St.  Louis  plant  for  the 
refining  of  sulphur.  *  *  *  He  applied  for  and  received  the  consent  of  his 
employers  to  establish  the  plant  under  a  hired  manager  and  still  retain  his  position 
with  Meyer  Brothers.  That  he  might  keep  in  constant  touch  with  his  East  St. 
Louis  plant,  he  had  a  telephone  installed,  and  on  a  given  date  he  anxiously  awaited 
the  word  of  his  manager  that  the  sulphur  refining  plant  had  been  successfully  in- 
augurated. The  call  came  a  little  earlier  than  he  expected,  but  not  over  his  plant 
phone,  and  the  message  was  in  the  nature  of  a  surprise  if  not  a  calamity.  The 
manager  of  his  plant  informed  him  that  some  way,  in  handling  the  sulphur,  the  plant 
had  been  ignited,  and  all  that  remained  of  his  carefully  saved  six  thousand  dollars 
was  the  concrete  foundation.  *  *  *  This  wiped  the  slate  clean  again  for  Mr. 
Queeny,   but  only  added  to  his  determination  to   battle   upwards.     By   1901,   there 


JOHN  F.  QUEENY 


f'fJBLICLIigRARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  91 

was  fifteen  hundred  dollars  credited  to  Mr.  Queen's  savings  account.  Observa- 
tion had  made  him  decide  first  upon  the  manufacture  of  some  of  the  chemicals 
in  which  he.  as  sales  manager,  dealt.  Next,  his  choice  narrowed  down  to  saccharin. 
Saccharin  had  been  coming  gradually  into  growing  use  throughout  the  world,  but 
its  production  was  limited  to  a  few  manufacturing  plants  in  Germany.  It  wasn't 
fully  apparent  to  Mr.  Queeny  why  Germany  should  have  the  monopoly  in  such 
a  product  or  why  American  minds  were  not  capable  of  evolving  the  method  of 
manufacturing  saccharin.  It  was  an  unblazed  trail  which  he  was  traveling,  with  no 
guideposts;  but  with  a  paltry  thousand  dollars  and  a  half,  plus  a  friend's  thirty-five 
hundred,  he  began  his  explorations  over  the  uncharted  course  of  American-produced 
chemicals.  It  is  said  to  his  credit  that  many  of  the  signposts  along  this  big  and 
growing  avenue  of  chemical  manufacture  today  are  Queeny-made.  With  his  lim- 
ited capital,  he  rented  a  part  of  a  one-story  building  at  the  corner  of  Second  street 
and  Lafayei^te  avenue.  One  of  the  first  things  he  encountered  was  the  customary 
German  commercial  competition.  No  sooner  had  they  learned  of  his  experiments 
and  proposal  to  manufacture  saccharin,  than  they  transported  bodily  here  the  nucleus 
of  a  German  syndicate  which  opened  a  plant  in  New  Jersey.  For  three  years  It 
was  a  losing  fight,  the  syndicate,  with  unlimited  capital,  sometimes  holding  the 
market  down  to  half  the  cost  of  production.  But  John  was  a  fighter.  He  continued 
to  work  by  day  with  the  Meyer  Brothers  Drug  Company,  putting  into  the  infant 
concern  all  of  his  earnings  aside  from  bare  living  expenses.  His  nights  he  spent 
in  straightening  out  the  business  snarls  that  developed  at  his  plant  and  in  devising 
means  to  meet  German  competition.  It  took  ten  years  to  lay  the  actual  physical 
manufacturing  basis  of  his  present  success.  Starting  out  with  two  employes,  he  had 
at  the  end  of  five  years  fifteen,  but  after  weathering  the  first  three  years,  the  little 
industry  commenced  to  climb  over  the  line  between  profit  and  loss,  gradually  increas- 
ing his  plant  until  it  occupies  the  entire  block.  When  the  World  war  started,  it  cut 
off  the  imports  of  the  German  product,  and  later  the  sugar-shortage  days  were  con- 
tributive  causes  of  the  enormous  growth  of  the  Queeny-conceived  industry.  While 
saccharin  was  his  first  and  perhaps  'sweetest  love'  in  the  chemical  line,  the  inability 
of  America  to  secure  German  chemicals  in  all  lines  caused  him  to  enter  the  manu- 
facture of  many  other  products.  *  *  *  Before  the  entrance  of  the  United 
States  into  the  conflict,  the  war  abroad  changed  the  industrial  complexion  of  the 
country,  due  to  the  shutting  off  of  German  imports,  and  opened  avenues  of  possi- 
bilities to  the  foresighted  and  venturesome.  It  is  this  condition  which  furnished  the 
setting  for  the  ultimate  business  triumph  of  John  F.  Queeny.  It  was  not  long  after 
the  outbreak  of  hostilities  overseas  that  Mr.  Queeny  began  to  see  the  true  vision 
of  American-made  chemicals.  Heretofore,  not  only  the  dye,  but  the  chemical  markets 
of  the  world  were  in  the  hands  of  Teutonic  scientists  and  chemists.  It  was  the  Ger- 
mans who  first  realized  that  the  study  and  research  in  chemical  lines  was  the  real 
backbone  of  industrial  progress.  Forty  years  of  intense  training  and  development 
along  this  line  had  produced  a  school  of  learned  chemists,  upon  whom  the  world 
depended  for  not  only  its  supply,  but  for  most  innovations.  This  St.  Louisan  was  a 
firm  believer  in  American  adaptability,  and  undaunted  by  the  disasters  which  had 
characterized  his  struggle  upwards,  John  F.  Queeny  carefully  but  quickly  weighed 
the  situation.  As  a  result,  he  not  only  backed  his  faith  in  American  ingenuity  with 
his  savings,  but  his  enthusiasm  won  for  him  the  support  of  friends.  With  indomi- 
table courage  and  'stick-to-itiveness,'  this  man  who  had  never  accepted  failure 
as  a  master  has  aided  in  doing  for  the  American  chemical  industry  what  it  had 
taken  the  Kaiser  and  his  cohorts  four  decades  to  develop.  This  accomplishment 
Justly  brought  into  his  own  possession  the  success  to  which  many  years  of  faithful 
endeavor  entitled  him.  *  *  *  jje  acquired  the  Commercial  Acid  Company  in 
East  St.  Louis,  and  he  is  also  now  interested  in  making  the  basic  products  for  all 
manufacturing  industries  *  »  *  Blunt — yes,  but  courteous;  square-jawedly 
determined,  with  the  happy  faculties  of  rare  judgment  and  business  acumen,  as 
delicately  balanced  as  the  exactest  of  his  chemical  scales — this  is  the  Queeny  equa- 
tion." In  addition  to  his  extensive  and  important  interests  as  a  manufacturer  of 
chemicals,  Mr.  Queeny  is  a  director  of  the  Mercantile  Trust  Company  and  the 
Lafayette  South  Side  Bank. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1896,  Mr.  Queeny  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Olga  Mendez  Monsanto,  a  native  of  St.  Thomas,  Danish  West  Indies,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  as  a  child  of  five  years  with  her  parents  in  1875.  The  family  home 
■was  established  in  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  where  Miss  Monsanto  was  residing  at  the 


92  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

time  of  her  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Queeny  have  two  children:  Edgar  Monsanto, 
who  served  in  the  European  war  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant;  and  Olguita  Monsanto, 
at  home. 

In  politics  Mr.  Queeny  is  a  stanch  republican  while  fraternally  he  is  identified 
with  the  Masons  and  the  Elks.  He  also  belongs  to  the  St.  Louis,  Noonday,  Sunset 
Country  and  Riverview  Boat  Clubs  and  is,  moreover,  a  member  of  the  St.  Louis 
Manufacturers'  Association,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Royal  Society  of 
Arts  and  the  Society  Chemical  Industry  of  England,  the  American  Electrochemical 
Society,  the  Chemists'  Club  of  New  York  and  the  New  York  Press  Club. 


JUDGE  GEORGE  HOWELL  SHIELDS. 

Few,  if  any,  lives  have  meant  more  for  good  in  connection  with  the  history  of  St. 
Louis  and  its  development  than  has  that  of  Judge  George  Howell  Shields,  now  judge  of 
the  circuit  court  of  the  city.  His  career  has  ever  been  fraught  with  high  purposes  and 
exalted  ideals  concerning  man's  relation  to  his  fellownien  and  to  the  community  at 
large.  While  upon  the  bench  his  rtllings  have  been  strictly  fair  and  impartial,  he 
nevertheless  possesses  a  kind,  gentle  spirit  which  has  prompted  him  to  reach  out  a  helping 
hand  or  speak  an  encouraging  word  whenever  he  believed  that  by  so  doing  he  could 
follow  the  admonition  of  Browning  to  "awaken  the  little  seeds  of  good  asleep  throughout 
the  world."  His  influence  is  immeasurable,  but  none  doubt  its  eflRcacy  as  a  factor 
for  progress  and  the  right  in  the  world's  work. 

Judge  Shields  was  born  in  Bardstown,  Kentucky,  June  19,  1842,  his  parents  being 
George  W.  and  JMartha  A.  (Howell)  Shields.  The  father  became  a  civil  engineer  of 
Kentucky  and  Mississippi  and  built  many  of  the  turnpike  roads  in  those  states.  He 
was  also  the  builder  of  the  Hannibal  and  Paris  gravel  road  and  the  Hannibal  and 
London  plank  road,  and  as  engineer  was  connected  with  the  construction  of  the  first 
railroad  in  Mississippi.  He  removed  with  his  family  from  Kentucky  to  Hannibal, 
Missouri,  in  1844,  and  there  turned  his  attention  to  the  pork  packing  business,  in 
which  he  was  very  successful,  becoming  the  leading  representative  of  trade  interests 
in  that  town.  He  was  also  very  active  in  all  public  matters  and  was  elected  mayor  of 
the  city  on  five  different  occasions.  His  record  was  in  harmony  with  that  of  a  distin- 
guished and  honorable  ancestry.  His  father  and  his  grandfather  had  been  officers  of 
the  Revolutionary  war.  The  Shields  family  had  come  originally  from  Ireland,  settle- 
ment by  the  emigrant  ancestor  being  made  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania,  while 
the  Howell  family  was  long  represented  in  Virginia  and  Kentucky. 

Judge  Shields  of  this  review  attended  private  schools  in  Hannibal,  Missouri, 
and  continued  his  education  in  Westminster  College  at  Fulton,  Missouri,  but  did  not 
graduate  because  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  at  which  time  he  joined  a  Missouri 
regiment  in  support  of  the  Union,  while  his  brother  joined  the  Confederate  army.  Judge 
Shields  served  throughout  the  period  of  hostilities  on  the  Union  side,  while  his  brother. 
Doctor  D.  H.  Shields,  remained  equally  loyal  to  the  cause  that  he  had  espoused.  The 
former  was  one  of  the  assistants  to  the  provost  marshal  at  Hannibal,  Colonel  William 
P.  Harrison,  who  was  afterward  judge  of  the  circuit  court  at  Hannibal.  Judge  Shields 
graduated  at  the  Louisville  Law  School  in  the  spring  of  1865  and  began  the  practice 
of  law  in  Hannibal.  He  came  into  almost  immediate  prominence  in  connection  with  the 
political  and  public  life  of  his  home  town  and  was  elected  city  attorney  of  Hannibal  in 
1865,  re-elected  thiee  times  thereafter,  and  was  elected  to  the  twenty-sixth  General 
Assembly  of  Missouri  in  1870,  serving  through  the  sessions  of  1871-72  as  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  constitutional  amendments.  In  1872  he  was  nominated  by  the  republi- 
can party  for  the  supreme  bench  of  the  state,  but  was  defeated,  with  the  whole  repub- 
lican ticket. 

In  1873  Judge  Shields  removed  to  St.  Louis  and  continuing  an  influencing  factor  in 
the  public  lite  of  the  state,  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  convention  of 
1875,  which  framed  the  constitution  and  still  remains  the  organic  law  of  Missouri. 
He  is  one  of  three  surviving  members  of  that  body.  In  1876  he  was  made  chairman  of 
the  republican  state  central  committee  and  so  continued  until  1880.  Part  of  the  same 
time  his  brother.  Dr.  Shields,  was  chairman  of  the  democratic  state  central  com- 
mittee, and  thus  in  politics,  as  in  the  war  period,  the  two  brothers  were  upon  opposing 
sides.     Dr.    Shields   afterward   became    judge   of   the   county   court   of    Marion    county. 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  93 

Judge  Shields  was  also  president  of  the  Board  o£  Freeholders  which  framed  the 
charter  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis  in  1876,  under  which  St.  Louis  was  governed  until  1914, 
and  is  now  the  sole  surviving  member  of  that  body.  It  was  also  in  1876  that  he  received 
from  Judge  Samuel  J.  Treat  appointment  to  the  position  of  master  in  chancery  of  the 
United  States  District  Court,  and  so  continued  for  a  period  of  thirty  years,  or  until 
1906.  In  1890  he  won  his  LL.  D.  degree  from  Westminster  College.  In  1889  he  was 
appointed  by  President  Harrison  to  the  position  of  assistant  attorney  general  of  the 
United  States,  in  charge  of  the  legal  business  of  the  interior  department,  of  which 
General  John  W.  Noble,  also  of  St.  Louis,  was  then  secretary.  In  1893  he  was  appointed 
by  President  Harrison  as  attorney  and  counsel  to  represent  the  United  States  in  the 
cases  before  the  United  States  and  Chilean  Claims  Commission,  returning  to  St.  Louis 
in  1894  after  the  successful  completion  of  his  task. 

For  forty-seven  years  Judge  Shields  has  been  connected  with  the  practice  of  law  in 
St.  Louis,  and  before  taking  his  abode  here  he  had  practiced  for  a  time  in  Hannibal  and 
Marion  and  RoUa  counties,  Missouri.  For  a  considerable  period  after  moving  to  St. 
Louis  he  was  a  partner  of  Senator  John  B.  Henderson,  under  the  firm  style  of  Henderson 
&  Shields,  and  in  that  connection  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  handling  much 
of  the  important  bond  litigation  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis  and  in  the  state  of  Missouri. 
As  stated  before,  with  the  election  of  General  Harrison  to  the  presidency  he  was 
called  to  Washington,  where  as  legal  adviser  of  the  Department  of  Interior  he 
rendered  conspicuous  service,  handling  all  the  flood  of  litigation  which  was  con- 
nected with  the  department  and  conducting  its  legal  affairs  with  conspicuous  ability. 
General  Noble  and  Judge  Shields  returned  to  St.  Louis  after  the  Harrison  admin- 
istration, and  entered  into  a  partnership  for  the  practice  of  law  under  the  firm 
style  of  Noble  &  Shields  which  continued  for  ten  years.  Both  were  men  of  the  strongest 
character  and  of  wide  experience  and  they  enjoyed  a  large  and  varied  practice.  When 
this  partnership  was  dissolved  Judge  Shields  joined  the  firm  of  Barclay  &  Fauntleroy, 
under  the  style  of  Barclay,  Shields  &  Fauntleroy,  his  associates  being  Judge  Shepard 
Barclay  and  Thomas  T.  Fauntleroy.  This  firm  enjoyed  a  large  and  growing  practice, 
and  after  two  years  Judge  Shields  withdrew  to  go  upon  the  bench  of  the  circuit  court 
of  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  to  which  position  he  was  elected  in  1906,  serving  until  1912, 
when  he  was  defeated  for  reelection  with  the  whole  republican  city  ticket,  on  account  of 
the  disaffection  in  the  ranks  of  the  republican  party.  In  1914,  however,  he  was  re- 
elected for  the  full  term  from  1915  until  1921.  An  eminent  member  of  the  St.  Louis 
bar  has  said  of  him:  "No  judge  upon  the  bench  of  the  circuit  court  of  the  city  of 
St.  Louis  has  more  completely  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  people;  none  has  more 
faithfully  nor  more  intelligently  nor  more  satisfactorily  filled  that  great  ofiice  in  the 
administration  of  justice.  He  has  a  strong,  calm  mind,  a  pure  heart,  and  possesses  a 
fearless  spirit  which  neither  the  persuasion  of  opportunity  or  of  profit,  nor  the  fear  of 
man,  could  ever  cause  him  to  swerve  from  the  path  of  what  he  conceived  to  be  his 
duty.  He  has  a  kindly,  gentle  spirit,  is  faithful  to  his  friendships,  his  life  has  been  a 
pure,  faithful  and  simple  one,  and  in  all  his  actions  he  has  been  guided  by  the  fear  of 
God."  In  all  public  affairs  he  has  taken  an  active  part,  being  always,  as  he  believes, 
on  the  side  of  right,  striving  ever  for  the  best  interests  of  the  community. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1866,  Judge  Shields  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Harrison  Leighton,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Leighton,  D.  D.,  of  Hannibal,  Missouri, 
who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  Presbyterian  preachers  of  the  state,  and  for  seventeen 
years  was  pastor  at  Palmyra,  Missouri,  for  thirteen  years  at  Hannibal,  Missouri,  and 
afterword  was  pastor  of  the  Rock  Hill  church  in  St.  Louis  county.  His  wife  was  Sarah 
Bainbridge  Richardson,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  prominent  families  of  Kentucky 
and  related  to  many  of  the  old  Virginia  families.  Mrs.  Mary  H.  Shields  was  the  first 
secretary  general  of  the  National  Society  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
and  was  president  of  the  Missouri  Society  of  the  D.  A.  R.,  president  of  the  St.  Louis 
Society  of  Colonial  Dames,  and  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Descendants  of  Colonial 
Governors  and  of  the  Huguenot  Society,  and  was  greatly  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her. 

Judge  and  Mrs.  Shields  became  the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom  the  first- 
born, John  Leighton,  died  in  infancy.  George  H.,  Jr.,  a  graduate  of  Princeton  University 
and  of  the  Washington,  D.  C,  Law  School,  was  a  member  of  the  United  States  army 
in  the  Spanish-American  and  Philippine  wars  and  obtained  the  rank  of  captain  of 
the  United  States  regulars.  He  entered  the  army  in  the  great  German  war,  was  pro- 
moted to  lieutenant  colonel,  and  was  one  of  the  executive  oflScers  under  General  Kenly, 
who  had  entire  charge  of  the  aviation  department  of  the  United  States  army  during  the 


94  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

last  months  of  the  World  war.  While  stationed  at  Washington,  his  work  took  him  to 
all  the  various  aviation  fields.  He  married  Miss  Florence  M.  Streett,  daughter  of 
J.  D.  Streett,  one  of  our  prominent  business  men.  Sarah  Bainbridge  Shields,  the  third 
of  the  family,  is  the  wife  of  Dean  William  M.  Warren,  Dean  of  Boston  University. 
Their  oldest  son.  Shields  Warren,  was  enlisted  in  the  late  war  and  assigned  to  Camp 
Taylor  at  Louisville  in  the  artillery  service.  Leighton  Shields,  the  fourth  of  the  Shields 
family,  was  graduated  from  Harvard  University  and  from  the  St.  Louis  Law  School  and 
is  now  practicing  in  this  city.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Twentieth  ward  draft  board 
during  the  late  war  and  was  appointed  as  captain  in  the  Reserve  Corps  of  the  army. 
He  married  Miss  Harriette  Krause,  daughter  of  E.  J.  Krause,  a  prominent  business  man 
of  St.  Louis. 

As  a  boy  Judge  Shields  was  particularly  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing,  being  an 
exceptionally  good  shot,  and  he  still  enjoys  a  day  in  the  open  with  rod  and  line.  He 
belongs  to  the  Amateur  Athletic  Association  of  St.  Louis,  and  the  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution,  and  has  been  a  lifelong  Presbyterian  in  religious  faith.  He  served  as  elder 
of  the  Lafayette  Park  Presbyterian  church,  St.  Louis,  was  elder  of  the  Church  of  the 
Covenant  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  is  now  an  elder  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  church 
of  St.  Louis.  He  has  always  been  a  wide  reader,  is  a  man  of  accurate  knowledge,  a  fluent 
and  forceful  writer,  and  a  speaker  of  unusual  ability.  He  has  been  untiring  and  faithful 
in  his  efforts  to  promote  the  spiritual  life  and  welfare  of  every  community  in  which  he 
h-'s  lived.  As  a  friend  and  companion  there  are  none  more  faithful.  He  has  now 
passed  beyond  the  Psalmist's  span  of  threescore  years  and  ten  and  in  life's  sunset  hour 
he  can  review  a  task  fraught  with  good  deeds,  characterized  by  high  principles,  an 
influencing  factor  for  the  right  and  for  advancement  through  nearly  a  half  century's 
residence  in  this  city,  so  that  his  memory  will  linger  long  after  he  has  passed  on, 
cherished   in  the  hearts  of  all  who  know  him. 


JOHN    THOMAS    HARDING. 

John  Thomas  Harding,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Harding,  Deatherage, 
Murphy  &  Stinson,  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  November  15,  1866.  His  father 
was  Joseph  Nathan  Monroe  Harding  and  his  mother  was  Emily  Dyer  Badger 
Harding.  His  father  was  born  in  Baltimore  and  after  finishing  a  medical  course 
came  to  Missouri  which  was  then  the  far  west.  He  settled  at  Pappinsville,  then  a 
trading  post  on  the  Osage  river  near  where  Nevada  is  now  located.  Here  he  prac- 
ticed his  profession  until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  moved  to  St.  Louis. 
After  the  war  he  located  in  Vernon  county,  Missouri,  where  he  lived  until  his  death 
in  August,  1869.  Doctor  Harding  was  a  Mason  of  high  rank  and  was  a  man  of 
fine  training  and  ability.  He  was  married  to  Emily  Dyer  Badger  in  Baltimore 
March  25,  1846.  Mrs.  Harding  was  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  one  of  the  first 
graduates  of  Mount  Holyoke  Seminary.  She  was  from  a  strong  outstanding  family 
which  perpetuated  its  history  with  definiteness  back  to  Giles  Badger  who  came  from 
England  and  settled  in  Newbury,  Massachusetts,  in   1635. 

Following  this  lead  we  quote  from  a  well  known  history  of  the  Badger  family: 
"About  1642  Giles  Badger  wedded  Elizabeth  Greenleaf,  daughter  of  Captain  Edmund 
and  Sarah  (Dole)  Greenleaf.  He  died  in  Newbury,  Massachusetts,  July  17,  1647. 
His  only  child  was  Sergeant  John  Badger,  who  was  born  in  Newbury,  Massachusetts, 
June  30,  1643,  and  who  on  the  16th  of  June,  1663,  married  Elizabeth  Hayden,  who 
died  April  8,  1669.  On  the  23rd  of  February,  1670-1,  Sergeant  Badger  married 
Hannah  Swett,  who  was  born  October  7,  1651.  He  had  an  oatmeal  mill  operated 
by  horse  power  and  he  served  as  a  sergeant  in  the  militia.  He  died  at  Newbury, 
March  31,  1691.  His  son,  Nathaniel  Badger,  was  born  in  Newbury.  January  16, 
1675  or  1676,  and  was  married  March  27,  1693,  to  Mary  Lunt.  They  resided  at  New- 
bury until  about  1715,  when  they  removed  to  Norwich,  Connecticut,  and  later  resided 
at  Union,  Connecticut,  Nathaniel  Badger  following  the  occupation  of  farming  as  a 
life  work.  His  wife  died  in  Coventry,  Connecticut,  August  29,  1763,  in  her  eighty- 
seventh  year.  The  children  of  Nathaniel  Badger  were  ten  in  number,  the  second 
being  Nathaniel,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  Newbury,  Massachusetts,  November  29,  1695, 
and  who  on  the  6th  of  June,  1731,  married  Rebecca  Simons.  He  resided  at  Norwich 
Farms,    now    Franklin,    Connecticut,    and    later    at    Union,    Connecticut,    where    he 


JOHN  T.  HARDING 


/ 


T«l  SIW  Ti5M 
ftflUC  LIBRARY 


ftWI«W  /••M»i.TIO*f» 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  97 

was  selectman  for  several  years.  The  line  of  descent  is  traced  down  through 
his  son,  Edmund  Badger,  who  was  born  in  Union,  Connecticut,  in  March,  1738, 
and  who  in  1765  married  Lucretia  Abbe,  who  was  born  March  10,  1749.  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joshua  and  Mary  (Ripley)  Abbe.  Edmund  Badger  spent  the  greater  part 
o£  his  life  in  Windham,  Connecticut,  and  died  at  Bristol,  Pennsylvania,  Septem- 
ber 6,  1825,  after  a  few  years'  residence  there.  His  wife  passed  away  in  Bristol, 
January  2,  1826.  The  seventh  of  their  eleven  children  was  Edmund  Badger,  Jr., 
who  was  born  at  Windham,  Connecticut,  February  14,  1779,  and  who  was  mar- 
ried August  19,  1798,  to  Amelia  Dyer.  Her  birth  occurred  in  1779  and  her 
parents  were  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Ripley)  Dyer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edmund  Badger, 
Jr.,  resided  at  Windham.  Connecticut,  where  the  latter  passed  away  August  22, 
1823.  '  They  were  the  parents  of  Albert  Allan  Badger,  who  was  born  at  Wind- 
ham, January  16,  1801,  and  was  married  January  16,  1820,  to  Asenath  Crosby, 
of  Mansfield,  Connecticut."  Three  children  were  born  of  this  union:  Albert  Badger, 
Oscar  C.  Badger,  and  Emily  Dyer  Badger.  Dr.  Albert  Badger  was  an  early  settler 
in  Vernon  County,  Missouri.  He  practiced  medicine  there  for  many  years  and  died 
at  Nevada,  Missouri,  in  1912.  Oscar  C.  Badger  became  a  rear  admiral  of  the 
United  States  Navy.  His  son,  Rear  Admiral  Charles  J.  Badger,  was  at  the  time  of 
.his  recent  retirement  commander-in-chief  of  the  North  Atlantic  fleet,  and  his  daugh- 
ter, Anne,  is  the  wife  of  Major  General  George  F.  Elliott  of  Washington,  D.  C. 

The  youngest  of  the  three  children,  Emily  Dyer  Badger,  was  born  at  Windham, 
Connecticut,  in  1826.  She  was  reared  by  her  uncle,  Edmund  Badger,  who  at  one 
time  was  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  She  was  a  woman  of  marked  literary  ability  and 
was  much  loved  by  the  people  of  her  community.  She  died  at  Nevada,  Missouri, 
on  August  12,   1913. 

The  subject  of  this  article  was  her  eighth  child.  He  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Vernon  county.  The  Scjiithwest  Normal  School  at  Fort  Scott, 
Kansas,  and  the  University  of  Missouri.  In-  addition  to  this  training  he  studied 
law  with  the  iirm  of  Burton  &  Wight  at  Nevada,  Missouri,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  May,  188  9.  He  thereafter  practiced  law  with  Judge  Charles  G.  Burton  until 
in  189  9  he  removed  to  Kansas  City  and  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Brown, 
Harding  &  Brown.  This  firm  was  eventually  merged  into  the  present  firm  of 
Harding,  Deatherage,  Murphy  &  Stinson,  which  is  now  widely  engaged  in  corpora- 
tion  practice. 

Mr.  Harding  belongs  to  the  various  bar  associations  and  is  associated  with 
several  financial  institutions.  He  organized  the  Gate  City  National  Bank  and  has 
been  its  counsel  since  its  organization. 

Mr.  Harding  has  two  children  by  his  marriage  to  Mary  Joel  Atkinson.  His 
daughter  Patti  is  the  wife  of  Taylor  S.  Abernathy,  and  his  son,  Douglas  Dyer  Badger, 
is  now  attending  school  at  Lawrenceville,  New  Jersey. 

Mr.  Harding  is  a  member  of  various  clubs  in  Kansas  City  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Mayflower  Society  by  virtue  of  descent  from  the  Badger  and  William  Brad- 
ford lines. 

For  many  years  he  has  been  an  art  collector,  having  purchased  several  canvases 
in  Europe.  His  collection  of  oil  paintings  is  among  the  best  in  the  middle  west. 
Among  them  are  the  names  of  some  well  known  masters,  notably  Corot,  Troyon, 
Diaz,  Mauve,  Jean  Jacques  Henner,  Bouguereau  and  Rico.  He  has  a  large  collection 
of  landscapes,  painted  by  American  masters,  and  among  them  are  some  by  George 
Inness,  Winslow  Homer,  Wyant,  Tryon,  Hassan.  He  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Kansas  City  Fine  Arts  Institute  and  of  the  Kansas  City  Conservatory  of  Music. 
He  is  also  one  of  the  trustees  of  the'  Liberty  Memorial  Association  and  acted  as 
chairman  of  the  legal  organization. 

Mr.  Harding  has  been  active  in  Masonry  and  is  past  master  of  Osage  Lodge, 
^ast  high  priest  of  Nevada,  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  past  eminent  commander  of 
O'Sullivan  Commandery,  past  venerable  master  of  the  Lodge  of  Perfection,  Scottish 
Rite,  and  past  illustrious  potentate  of  Ararat  Temple.  On  account  of  his  work  he 
was  awarded  the  honorary  thirty-third  degree  which  he  took  in  Washington,  1911. 
He  has  always  been  a  consistent  democrat,  but  has  never  aspired  to  office,  although 
during  the  Thomas  T.  Crittenden  administration  as  mayor  of  Kansas  City  he  served 
as  corporation  counsel. 

Mr.  Harding's  second  marriage  was  on  July  12,  1916,  to  Lucia  Byrne,  daughter 
of  the  late  John  M.  Byrne  and  Lucia  Fox  Byrne. 

Vol.  Ill— 7 


98  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

He  is  a  man  ot  splendid  oratoiical  ability  whose  powers  have  been  developed 
in  many  directions  and  who,  as  the  years  have  passed,  has  had  time  and  opportunity 
to  cultivate  those  interests  of  cultural  value  that  constitute  one  of  the  chief  pleas- 
ures of  life.  While  the  state  ranks  him  as  an  eminently  successful  lawyer  his 
friends  know  him  as  a  connoisseur  ot  art,  as  a  most  agreeable  companion,  as  a 
patron  of  all  those  interests  which  make  tor  uplift  and  at  a  gentleman  with  whom 
association   means   expansion   and   development. 


OLIVER  HAYES   DEAN. 


Oliver  Hayes  Dean  has  been  an  active  and  devoted  member  ot  the  legal  pro- 
fession in  Kansas  City  for  many  years.  His  ambition  has  always  been  to  be  a  lawyer 
representing  the  highest  principles  and  purposes  of  his  profession.  He  has  greatly 
idealized  his  work;  he  believes  it  to  be  the  most  honorable  and  most  useful  and  the 
most  dignified  ot  any  work  to  which  a  man  can  dedicate  his  lite.  He  has  lived  up 
to  his  ideals  and  by  preparation  and  diligence  has  commanded  success  to  an  unusual 
degree. 

Mr.  Dean  is  president  of  the  Kansas  City  School  of  Law  and  has  lectured  in 
this  school  on  corporate  and  constitutional  law  tor  many  years.  He  was  one  ot  the 
founders  ot  this  school,  organized  as  it  was  to  enable  those  who  are  ambitious  to 
obtain  a  good  legal  education  in  Kansas  City  and  who  were  unable  to  go  to  some 
distant  place  tor  such  an  education.  It  has  greatly  advocated  and  highly  enforced 
the  ethical  requirements  ot  the  legal  profession.  It  is  believed  that  it  has  exercised 
a  valuable  and  important  influence  in  that  profession  in  the  middle  west.  He  has 
been  pleased  to  give  his  time  and  more  to  the  school  without  compensation.  It  has 
been  unusually  successful  and  now  ranks  among  the  best  law  schools  in  the 
country. 

Mr.  Dean  was  born  in  Montour  county,  Pennsylvania,  near  a  village  called 
Washingtonville,  December  7,  1845.  He  is  the  son  ot  the  Hon.  Joseph  Dean,  who 
served,  when  a  young  man,  as  an  officer  in  the  War  ot  1812  under  General  Scott 
and  for  several  years  was  one  of  the  lay  judges  ot  Montour  county.  The  Dean  family 
on  his  father's  side  is  English  and  Scotch,  and  on  his  mother's  side  Holland  Dutch. 

Mr.  Dean  supplemented  his  early  education,  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  state,  by  study  in  Tuscarora  Academy  in  Juniata  county,  Pennsylvania. 
He  taught  Latin  in  this  academy  tor  a  year  when  in  his  nineteenth  year.  He  after- 
wards attended  the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which  he  was  graduated,  and  on 
the  completion  ot  his  academic  course  in  that  university  in  1868  received  the  A.  B. 
degree.  He  then  continued  his  studies  at  the  same  institution  in  preparation  tor  the 
bar  and  received  the  degree  LL.  B.  in  1870.  He  has  also  received  the  degree  of 
LL.  D.  from  Knox  College,  Galesburg.   Illinois. 

On  account  of  his  health  Mr.  Dean  came  to  a  drier  climate  than  that  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  located  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  May  1,  1870.  He  entered  the 
office  of  Judge  Francis  M.  Black,  who  was  later  one  of  the  supreme  Judges  of  Mis- 
souri. The  friendship  between  Judge  Black  and  him  became  very  intimate  and 
they  were  devoted  friends  until  his  death.  Shortly  after  locating  in  Kansas  City, 
he  became  associated  with  Judge  William  Holmes,  the  firm  then  being  Holmes  & 
Dean,  which  continued  tor  nearly  eleven  years,  and  later  he  became  the  junior 
member  ot  the  firm  of  Tichenor,  Warner  &  Dean.  When  Mr.  Tichenor  retired  from 
general  practice,  the  firm  became  Warner  &  Dean  and  with  other  members  added  at 
different  times,  his  association  with  William  Warner,  United  States  senator  from 
Missouri,  lasted  tor  over  thirty-five  years.  In  memory  of  his  old  partner,  his  firm 
still  retains  his  name  and  today  the  firm  is  known  as  Warner,  Dean,  Langworthy,, 
Thomson  &  Williams,  although  Senator  Warner  has  been  dead  over  three  years. 

As  an  attorney  Mr.  Dean  has  been  highly  successful  in  all  branches  of  the  civil 
practice  which  has  extended  to  every  court  and  to  various  parts  ot  the  country. 
His  ability  has  been  supplemented  by  the  highest  industry.  He  has  been  loyal  to  his 
profession  and  has  not  allowed  any  ot  the  allurements  of  public  place  to  distract 
his  attention  from  it.  He  has  been  for  many  years  an  adviser  to  many  incorporated 
institutions  in  Kansas  City. 

Mr.  Dean  is  an  impressive,  clear  and  forceful  speaker,  his  ability  in  that  direction 
being  coupled  with  a  strong,  earnest  personality  and  a  manifest  sincerity  and  hon- 


OLIVER   H.    DEAN 


THE  J*£»^'  ^'^^^ 
PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  101 

esty  of  purpose.  He  is  well  known  as  a  writer  on  legal  subjects  and  has 'delivered 
addresses  before  the  bar  associations  of  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Illinois,  the  Universi- 
ties of  Missouri  and  Kansas,  his  addresses  usually  being  upon  corporation  and  con- 
stitutional law.  He  also  lectured  on  medical  jurisprudence  in  the  Kansas  City 
Medical  College  and  the  University  of  Kansas  for  several  years. 

Mr.  Dean  is  a  member  of  the  Kansas  City,  the  Missouri  State  and  American 
Bar  Associations;  the  International  Law  Congress,  which  met  at  Madrid,  Spain, 
in  1913,  and  this  year  (1920)  at  Portsmouth,  England.  He  is  also  a  Fellow  of 
the  Royal  Academy  of  Arts,  London,  England,  and  a  member  of  the  following 
organizations  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri:  Pine  Arts  Club,  University  Club,  Country 
Club,  Blue  Hills  Club  and  Automobile  Club;  and  several  charitable  and  educational 
societies. 

Mr.  Dean  has  two  children,  a  daughter  Alice,  the  wife  of  Alvah  S.  Green,  of 
Galesburg,  Illinois,  and  Mason  L.  Dean,  a  business  man  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Dean  is  much  devoted  to  music  and  art,  but  he  finds  his  recreation  largely 
in  reading,  which  covers  a  broad  and  comprehensive  scope.  His  wide  general 
information  constitutes  one  of  the  basic  elements  of  his  success  at  the  bar.  He  has 
traveled  much  abroad,  and  finds  great  interest  in  studying  the  political,  social 
and  economic  conditions  of  foreign  countries  and  the  relations  and  influences  of 
those  conditions  to  and  upon  each  other. 


WALTER  BROWNLEB. 


Walter  Brownlee,  president  of  the  Brownlee  Banking  Company  of  Brookfield,  was 
born  at  Linneus,  Missouri,  July  24,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Judge  Brownlee.  After 
acquiring  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Linneus  and  of  Brookfield  he 
attended  the  State  Normal  School  at  Kirksville, ''Missouri,  tor  three  years,  after  which 
he  returned  to  Brookfield,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with  his  father 
for  two  years.  He  was  afterward  clerk  under  his  father,  who  was  then  filling  the  office 
of  common  pleas  judge.  The  son  continued  in  the  clerkship  for  two  years  and  next 
entered  the  bank  of  W.  H.  DeGraw  &  Company,  remaining  with  that  institution  from 
1879  until  the  organization  of  the  Linn  County  Bank  in  1884.  Of  the  latter  he  became 
assistant  cashier  and  so  continued  until  1887,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  dry 
goods  trade,  being  connected  with  the  H.  Emanuel  Company  until  1888.  The  business 
was  then  sold  and  Mr.  Brownlee  went  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  where  he  became  con- 
nected with  real  estate  operations,  there  residing  until  1893.  In  that  year  he  returned 
to  Brookfield  and  when  the  Brownlee  Banking  Company  was  organized  he  became 
cashier  and  so  continued  until  the  death  of  his  father  in  1909,  when  he  succeeded  to  the 
presidency  of  the  institution  and  still  remains  at  the  head  of  the  bank.  This  bank  was 
organized  in  March,  1893.  Its  first  official  statement,  issued  to  the  state  bank  depart- 
ment on  the  16th  of  September,  1899,  showed  deposits  of  forty-six  thousand  four  hundred 
and  eighteen  dollars,  while  the  last  statement,  issued  December  30,  1919,  shows  deposits 
amounting  to  six  hundred  and  fifty-seven  thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty-one  dollars 
and  thirty-four  cents.  The  steady  growth  of  this  institution  is  attributable  in  no  small 
measure  to  the  efforts  and  enterprise  of  Walter  Brownlee,  who  is  a  man  of  sound 
discrimination  in  business,  of  keen  sagacity  and  of  unfaltering  energy. 

Mr.  Brownlee  has  also  figured  prominently  in  connection  with  public  affairs.  He 
served  for  thirteen  years  as  city  treasurer  of  Brookfield  prior  to  1910  and  in  the  latter 
year  was  elected  to  the  forty-sixth  general  assembly  of  Missouri.  In  the  fall  of  1912 
he  was  reelected,  serving  as  a  member  of  the  forty-seventh  general  assembly,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1918  was  elected  on  the  democratic  ticket  from  the  sixth  senatorial  district 
to  the  position  of  state  senator  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  upper  house.  He  has  thus 
served  for  four  consecutive  sessions  in  the  general  assembly  and  his  record  is  one  which 
reflects  credit  and  honor  upon  the  state  that  has  honored  him. 

In  1882  Mr.  Brownlee  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Howard,  of  Kirksville,  Missouri, 
and  to  them  was  born  a  daughter,  who  is  now  Mrs.  C.  W.  Hill,  of  Brookfield.  The  wife 
and  mother  passed  away  in  1909  and  on  the  14th  of  December,  1911,  Mr.  Brownlee  was 
married  to  Miss  Kate  Vance  Standly,  daughter  of  Dr.  Z.  T.  and  Jennie  (Vance)  Standly. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brownlee  are  well  known  in  Linn  county  and  throughout  this  part  of 
Missouri.    He  has  mastered  the  lessons  of  life  day  by  day  until  his  post  graduate  work 


102  CEXTENKIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

in  the  school  of  experience  has  brought  him  to  a  prominent  position  in  connection  witli 
the  financial  interests  of  the  state  and  with  its  legislative  interests  as  well. 

His  wife  is  a  native  of  Linn  county,  Missouri,  having  been  born  at  Laclede,  where 
she  obtained  her  early  education.  She  determined  to  engage  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
and  began  studying  under  the  direction  of  her  father.  In  1898  she  became  a  student  in 
the  medical  department  of  the  Univer.sity  of  Illinois,  fro.Ti  which  she  was  graduated  in 
1902.  She  spent  one  year  as  interne  in  the  Mary  Thompson  Hospital  of  Chicago  and 
then  selected  Brookfield,  Missouri,  as  the  field  of  her  professional  activity,  specializing 
in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  women  and  children.  She  soon  became  firmly  intrenched 
in  the  confidence  and  regard  of  the  people  of  Linn  county,  proving  her  capability  in  her 
success  in  practice.  She  has  also  pursued  courses  of  study  in  the  Chicago  Post  Graduate 
School  and  through  wide  reading  has  ever  kept  in  touch  with  the  advanced  literature 
of  the  profession.  She  was  an  active  member  of  the  county  and  state  medical  societies 
and  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  for  two  years  served  as  president  of  the 
Linn  County  Medical  Society,  but  gave  up  practice  when  she  became  the  wife  of  Walter 
Brownlee. 


JUDGE  CHESTER  H.  KRUM. 


The  specific  and  distinctive  office  of  biography  is  not  to  give  voice  to  a  man's  modest 
estimate  of  himself  and  his  accomplishments  but  rather  to  leave  the  perpetual  record 
establishing  his  position  by  the  consensus  of  public  opinion  on  the  part  of  his  fellow- 
men.  Judged  by  this  standard.  Chester  H.  Krum  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  and  ablest 
members  of  the  Missouri  bar  and  for  more  than  half  a  century  has  been  actively  engaged 
in  practice,  save  for  the  period  ot  three  years  which  he  spent  upon  the  bench  as  an 
impartial  and  farsighted  jurist.  He  was  born  in  Alton,  Illinois.  September  13.  1840.  his 
parents  being  Judge  John  M.  and  Mary  (Harding)  Krum.  His  father's  judicial  title 
indicates  that  the  family  name  is  one  of  long  connection  with  the  history  of  the  legal 
profession  in  the  Mississippi  valley  and  Chester  H.  Krum  was,  as  it  were,  "to  the  manner 
born."  He  pursued  his  classical  education  in  Washington  University  at  St.  Louis, 
completing  his  course  by  graduation  in  the  class  of  1863.  at  which  time  the  Bachelor  of 
Arts  degree  was  conferred  upon  him.  His  law  course  was  pursued  at  Harvard  University 
and  there  he  won  the  LL.  B.  degree  in  1865. 

The  year  prior  to  his  graduation,  however,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  upon 
the  completion  of  his  Harvard  course  he  at  once  opened  a  law  office  in  St.  Louis.  Here 
throughout  the  intervening  years  he  has  continued  an  active  representative  ot  the  legal 
profession.  In  this  connection  a  contemporary  biogi'apher  has  written:  "Advancement  in 
the  law  is  proverbially  slow  and  in  no  profession  does  success  depend  more  entirely  upon 
individual  merit  and  effort.  Gradually,  however,  Mr.  Krum  won  a  good  clientage  and 
in  1867  joined  the  firm  of  Krum,  Decker  &  Krum  as  its  junior  partner.  Two  years  later 
he  became  United  States  district  attorney  by  appointment  and  served  in  that  capacity 
until  1872.  He  then  resigned  and  in  the  same  year  was  chosen  by  popular  vote  for  the 
office  of  judge  of  the  St.  Louis  circuit  court.  For  three  years  he  remained  upon  the 
bench,  discharging  his  multitudinous  duties  with  strict  impartiality  and  fairness,  his 
legal  learning,  his  analytical  mind  and  the  readiness  with  which  he  grasped  the  points 
in  argument  making  him  a  capable  jurist,  the  value  of  whose  service  was  recognized 
and  acknowledged  by  the  public  and  the  profession.  On  his  retirement  from  the  bench, 
Judge  Krum  resumed  the  private  practice  ot  law  and  has  thus  been  identified  with  the 
St.  Louis  bar  for  more  than  half  a  century.  He  has  not  followed  the  prevalent  tendency 
toward  specialization,  but  in  each  department  of  the  law  is  well  versed  and  in  the 
general  practice  has  shown  himself  eciually  at  home  in  v.irious  branches  of  jurisprudence. 
His  is  a  natural  discrimination  as  to  legal  ethics  and  he  has,  moreover,  been  an  unwearied 
student  of  the  science  ot  the  law  and  of  the  trend  of  pul)lic  thought  and  feeling,  which 
has  so  much  to  do  with  shaping  the  interests  which  come  before  the  courts.  He  is  also 
recognized  as  a  popular  law  educator,  and  for  nine  years,  beginning  in  1873,  was  a 
member  of  the  faculty  of  the  St.  Louis  Law  School." 

The  marriage  of  Judge  Krum  to  Miss  Elizabeth  H.  Cutter,  daughter  of  Norman 
and  Frances  Cutter,  was  celebrated  on  the  26th  of  October,  1866,  so  that  for  fifty-four 
years  they  have  traveled  life's  journey  together.     They  became  parents  of  the  following 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  103 

children:      Mary   F.,   John   M.,  Clara   R.,   Elizabeth   H.   and    Mabel,   of   whom   John   and 
Mabel  have  now  passed  away. 

In  religious  faith  the  family  are  Unitarians,  holding  membership  with  the  Church 
of  the  Messiah.  Through  his  political  connections  Judge  Krum  has  become  well  known. 
He  give  unfaltering  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  from  1864  until  1888.  when  he 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  democratic  party  because  of  a  change  in  his  convictions.  When 
free  silver  was  made  the  political  issue  of  the  country  he  became  a  champion  of  the 
gold  standard  wing  of  the  democratic  party.  He  has  closely  studied  the  vital  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day.  bringing  to  bear  upon  all  such  an  analytical  mind  and  clear 
reasoning.  By  reason  of  the  soundness  of  his  judgment  his  opinions  have  carried 
weight  with  many  and  he  has  exerted  a  wide  influence  over  public  thought  and  action. 


EDWARD  GRIGSBY  TRIMBLE. 

Edward  Grigsby  Trimble,  who  devoted  the  earlier  years  of  his  manhood  to  the 
practice  of  law  and  afterwards  became  the  organizer  of  the  Employers  Indemnity  Cor- 
poration of  Kansas  City,  of  which  he  is  now  the  president,  was  born  in  Princeton, 
Kentucky,  July  4,  1876.  His  father,  Aaron  D.  Trimble,  was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky 
and  was  a  representative  of  a  well-known  family  bearing  the  name,  who  lived  in  Ken- 
tucky for  several  generations,  having  come  from  the  north  of  Ireland  to  the  new  world, 
settling  first  in  Virginia  and  removing  to  Kentucky  about  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary 
war.  Aaron  D.  Trimble  gained  prominence  as  a  minister  and  educator.  He  was  for 
many  years  treasurer  of  the  Mary  Sharp  College  at  Winchester,  Tennessee,  during  all 
of  which  time — more  than  twenty  years — he  was  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church  at 
Winchester.  Later,  near  the  close  of  his  life,  he  was  president  of  the  Princeton  ( Ken- 
tucky) college.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  served  as  a  captain  of  cavalry  in  the 
Confederate  army  and  after  a  long  life  of  activity  and  usefulness  he  passed  away  in  1879. 
In  early  manhood  he  wedded  Mary  Ellen  Whitman,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  who  is  now 
eighty-srx  years  of  age.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Robert  Mollineaux  Whitman,  who  removed 
from  New  Hampshire  to  the  south  about  1820  and  became  noted  as  a  pioneer  pre-jcher. 
He  was  a  direct  descendant  of  the  well-known  John  Whitman,  of  Weymouth,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Edward  G.  Trimble,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  pursued  his  early  education 
in  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Springfield,  Missouri,  and  later  pursued  a  partial 
college  course  at  the  Baylor  University  at  Waco,  Texas,  remaining  a  student  there  for 
two  years.  He  next  entered  Cumberland  University  at  Lebanon,  Tennessee,  for  the  study 
of  law  and  won  the  LL.  B.  degree  in  1901.  He  afterward  practiced  his  profession  at 
Houston,  Texas,  but  this  did  not  constitute  his  initial  step  in  a  business  career.  When 
but  eighteen  years  of  age  he  had  been  the  owner  of  a  laundry  business  in  the  Lone  Star 
state,  but  became  imbued  with  the  desire  to  enter  a  field  that  offered  a  wider  outlook 
and  turned  to  the  profession  of  law.  He  was  twenty-five  years  of  age  when  he  was 
graduated  from  the  Cumberland  University,  after  which  he  took  up  the  practice  of  law 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Harris  &  Harris  of  Galveston  and  Houston,  Texas.  Seven 
ye-rs  were  devoted  to  law  practice  and  in  1908  he  came  to  Kansas  City,  where  he 
organized  the  Employers  Indemnity  Exchange,  which  later  grew  into  and  became  a 
part  of  the  Employers  Indemnity  Corporation,  of  which  he  is  still  the  president  and 
principal  stockholder.  This  is  the  largest  casualty  company  in  the  west  or  south,  and 
specialises  in  reinsurance  of  casualty  lines  from  other  casualty  companies.  He  has 
been  instrumental  in  successfully  building  up  an  insurance  business  on  new  and  original 
lines,  theirs  being  perhaps  the  only  institution  of  this  character  in  the  country  organ- 
ized within  the  past  years  that  has  earned  and  paid  dividends  from  its  inception.  The 
corporation  has  put  out  many  interesting  and  origin il  contracts  affecting  the  insurance 
business  and  the  initiative  spirit  which  Mr.  Trimble  has  manifested  has  produced 
substantial  and  excellent  results.  While  the  largest  stockholder  of  the  Employers 
Indemnity  Corporation,  he  is  also  interested  extensively  in  other  insurance  institutions. 
He  is  connected  with  the  laundry  business  and  is  a  stockholder  in  several  banks  of 
Kansas  City,  while  his  official  connections  include  not  only  the  presidency  of  the 
Employers  Indemnity  Corporation  but  also  the  vice  presidency  of  the  American  Mer- 
chants Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Kansas  City,  presidency  of  the  Exchange  Mutual 
Indemnity  Insurance  Comp.iny  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  and  the  presidency  of  the   Insur- 


104  CEXTEXXIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

ance  Building  Company,  which  is  erecting  a  large  building  to  be  used  by  the  Employers 
Indemnity  Corporation. 

On  the  22d  of  June.  1904,  Mr.  Trimble  was  married  to  iliss  Emily  Woodhead,  of 
Houston,  Texas,  a  daughter  of  John  Woodhead,  now  of  Kansas  Citj",  who  is  the  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Employers  Indemnity  Corporation  and  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in 
this  work.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trimble  have  been  born  two  sons:  Edward  G..  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  John  Duff,  a  lad  of  nine. 

Mr.  Trimble  belongs  to  the  Kansas  City  Bar  Association  and  also  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  to  the  Kansas  City  Athletic  Club,  the  Kansas  City  Club,  the  City  Club,  the 
Hillcrest  Country  Club  and  the  Automobile  Club.  He  is  a  Knight  Templar,  thirty-second 
degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and  is  a  very  prominent 
and  influential  representative  of  the  Calvary  Baptist  church,  in  which  he  Is  serving  as 
deacon  and  also  as  chairman  of  the  finance  committee.  He  is  likewise  president  of  the 
Baptist  City  Mission  Board  and  of  the  Baptist  Savings  &  Loan  Association.  He  is  a 
director  of  the  national  safety  committee  and  is  keenly  interested  in  all  those  activities 
which  tend  to  advance  the  material,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  progress  of  the  race. 
His  ideals  of  life  are  high  and  he  employs  the  most  practical  methods  in  securing  their 
adoption,  his  labors  being  far-reaching  and  effective  along  all  lines  which  make  for  public 
good. 


CHARLES    S.    KEITH. 


Charles  S.  Keith,  president  and  general  manager  of  the  Central  Coal  &  Coke 
Company  of  Kansas  City,  has  throughout  his  business  career  been  a  thorough  student 
of  all  problems  essential  to  intelligent  management  of  his  interests  and  thus  is  wisely 
and  effectively  directing  the  further  development  of  the  corporation  of  which  he 
is  now  the  head.  This  business  was  founded  by  his  father,  Richard  Henry  Keith,  a 
pioneer  merchant  and  man  of  affairs  of  Kansas  City,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  this  work. 

Charles  S.  Keith  is  a  native  of  Kansas  City,  his  birth  having  here  occurred  on  the 
28th  of  January,  1873.  He  pursued  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools,  while 
later  he  attended  St.  John"s  College  and  afterward  Fordham  University,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1891  with  the  Bachelor  of  Science  degree.  He  then  entered 
business  circles  as  a  representative  of  the  Central  Coal  &  Coke  Company,  of  which 
he  is  now  president.  He  assumed  connection  with  the  business  in  a  minor  capacity 
but  has  gradually  worked  his  way  upward,  passing  through  all  departments  and 
thoroughly  acquainting  himself  with  every  phase  of  the  business.  Eventually  he  has 
reached  the  presidency  of  this  important  corporation.  His  father  established  the 
business  in  1871  by  investing  his  entire  capital  of  forty  dollars  in  a  little  coal  yard  on 
Bluff  street,  at  which  time  Kansas  City  handled  about  thirty  carload*  of  coil  daily. 
With  the  development  of  the  business  he  organized  the  Central  Coal  &  Coke  Company, 
of  which  he  became  president,  and  opened  various  mines  in  Kansas  and  later  in  the 
coal  fields  of  Arkansas.  The  company  which  he  founded  now  owns  coal  lands 
that  proluce  four  million  tons  of  coal  annually  and  is  the  largest  enterprise 
of  the  kind  in  the  southwest.  Something  of  the  remarkable  growth  of  the 
business  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  at  the  time  of  the  father's  death  employment 
was  furnished  to  ten  thousand  men  and  the  annual  sales  amounted  to  seven  million 
dollars.  One  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  carloads  of  coal  are  utilized,  taken  from 
mines  in  Kansas.  Missouri.  Oklahoma,  ^\rkansas  and  Wyoming,  while  retail  yards  are 
maintained  at  Wichita,  Kansas.  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  Omaha.  Nebraska,  and  Salt  Lake 
City,  the  product  being  shipped  throughout  the  south  and  southwest.  The  company  has 
not  confined  its  attention  alone  to  the  coal  trade,  for  with  the  reorganization  under  the 
name  of  the  Central  Coal  &  Coke  Company  in  May.  1893,  the  company  began  the 
development  of  a  lumber  trade,  which  it  had  hitherto  undertaken  in  a  small  way. 
A  plant  was  acquired  at  Texarkana,  Texas,  and  operations  began  in  January.  1894, 
with  the  most  modern  machinery  and  equipment.  There  the  manufacture  of  lumber 
was  continued  until  the  summer  of  1902,  when  the  plant  was  torn  down  and  a  removal 
made  to  Carson.  Louisiana,  to  obtain  a  new  source  of  timber  supplies.  Other  saw- 
mills  were   erected    at    Keith.    Louisiana,    on    the    line    of    the    Kansas    City    Southern 


CHARLES  S.  KEITH 


THi  ««W  T9RI 
FOIUCLURARY 


A3T<^    19HQX  *N» 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  107 

Railway,  and  at  Conroe,  Texas,  on  the  International  &  Great  Northern,  and  the  Gulf 
Coast  and   Santa  Pe  Railroads. 

Thus  a  business  ot  mammoth  proportions  has  been  developed,  of  which  Charles 
S.  Keith  is  now  the  head.  He  has  always  displayed  inflexible  integrity  in  business 
circles,  together  with  aggressiveness  and  thorough  grasp  ot  the  more  important  prob- 
lems. He  is  today  widely  known  as  a  lumberman,  manufacturer  and  coal  operator 
and  one  who  is  capable  ot  making  a  most  keen  and  correct  analysis  of  any  business 
situation.  In  tact  he  has  specialized  in  this  department  of  business  to  a  large  degree 
and  he  has  given  a  great  deal  of  his  time  to  voicing  his  views  in  an  educational 
way  to  the  lumber  and  coal  industries  throughout  the  country  in  the  last  few  years, 
making  speeches  at  various  points  in  the  interests  of  the  lumber  trade.  In  fact  his 
services  are  in  demand  whenever  the  lumbermen  are  assembled  together  in  conven- 
tion. He  is  likewise  a  director  of  the  Fidelity  National  Bank  &  Trust  Company  of 
Kansas  City,  a  director  of  the  Kansas  City  Light  &  Power  Company,  a  director  of 
the  Southern  Pine  Association,  of  which  he  was  formerly  president,  a  director  of 
the  National  Lumber  Manufacturers  Association  and  the  vice  president  and  a  director 
of  the  National  Manufacturers  Association.  With  many  important  corporations  and 
business  enterprises  he  is  identified  as  a  director  and  stockholder  and  his  judgment 
constitutes  one  of  the  potent  elements  in  the  successful  conduct  of  all  business  affairs 
of  which  he  is  a  representative.  He  occupies  a  prominent  position  in  connection 
with  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  activities  and  was  president  of  the  Chamber  of 
Kansas  City  in  1914.  He  has  also  been  a  director  and  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States  of  America  for  four 
years  and  was  recently  reelected  for  an  additional  term  of  two  years,  representing 
the  natural  resource  production  in  the  Chamber. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1900,  Mr.  Keith  was  married  to  Miss  Lucile  Hill,  a  daughter 
of  William  E.  and  Sallie  (Scott)  Hill,  of  Keithsville,  Missouri.  They  have  one  son, 
Richard  William,  who  is  now  attending  the  high  school  of  Kansas  City  and  will  soon 
enter   Yale. 

Mr.  Keith  is  very  fond  of  horseback  riding  and  takes  great  delight  in  agricul- 
tural interests,  owning  a  valuable  farm  that  is  most  scientifically  cultivated.  He 
belongs  to  the  Kansas  City  Club,  to  the  Kansas  City  Country  Club,  the  Mission  Hills 
Country  Club,  the  University  Club  ot  Kansas  City  and  to  the  Chicago  Athletic  Club. 
His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  He  takes  great  interest 
in  civic  and  political  matters  which  pertain  to  his  home  city  and  state  and  is  active 
as  well  in  national  politics.  In  a  word  he  is  a  broad-minded  man  whose  vision  is 
wide,  whose  understanding  is  keen  and  whose  ideals  and  principles  never  permit 
him  to  choose  the  second  best.  In  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen  he  is  actuated 
by  a  broad  humanitarian  spirit  that  is  manifest  in  helpful  support  of  philanthropic 
and   benevolent   projects. 


CLARK  HUDSON. 


Clark  Hudson,  who  is  engaged  in  law  practice  in  St.  Louis,  is  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Hudson  &  Hudson.  He  was  born  in  Carterville,  Illinois,  May  26,  18S9,  and  is  the 
son  of  Alinzor  and  Annie  May  (Shook)  Hudson.  The  father,  now  deceased,  was  born 
In  St.  Louis,  and  was  a  photographer  by  profession.  To  him  and  his  wife  were  born 
two  sons  and  two  daughters:  Louis,  who  is  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Hudson  & 
Hudson,  and  who  married  Grace  Herr;  Linda  Ross,  who  is  the  wife  of  Fred  H.  Abbott, 
foreman  of  the  Electric  Company  of  Missouri;  Clark,  of  this  review;  and  Hattie,  the 
wife  of  Victor  Hugonoit,  who  is  sales  manager  of  the  Brown  Instrument  Company  of 
St.   Louis. 

Clark  Hudson  spent  his  youthful  days  under  the  parental  roof,  giving  his  time 
largely  to  the  acquirement  of  an  education  as  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools  of  Sorento, 
Illinois,  and  in  the  high  school  of  St.  Louis,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1907.  He 
afterward  entered  the  Metropolitan  College  of  Law,  now  known  as  the  City  College  of 
Law  and  Finance,  and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  June,  1911.  On  the  2d  of  July,  1912, 
he  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  state  bar,  and  was  admitted  to  the  federal  courts  on 
the  21st  of  July,  1914.  Since  1912  he  has  been  continuously  and  successfully  engaged 
in  practice  and  is  now  associated  with  his  brother  in  the  firm  of  Hudson  &  Hudson, 


108  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OE  MISSOURI 

in  the  general  practice  of  law  but  with  a  large  corporation  practice.  He  has  studied 
thoroughly  along  that  line  and  his  ability  is  recognized  by  his  clientele  and  by  his  pro- 
fessional colleagues  and  contemporaries. 

Mr.  Hudson  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  military  affairs  and  served  in 
Company  E  of  the  First  Missouri  National  Guard  from  1906  to  1909,  retiring  with  rank 
of  sergeant.  He  enlisted  again  in  Company  D,  First  Missouri  National  Guard,  as  a 
private  in  1913-1914.  When  this  country  entered  the  World  war  Mr.  Hudson  attended 
the  second  officers'  training  camp,  but  was  discharged  on  account  of  physical  disability, 
his  arches  not  being  able  to  stand  the  strain.  Undaunted  by  his  discharge  and  deter- 
mined to  enter  the  war,  he  took  treatment  and  was  accepted  for  duty  in  France  in 
Company  A  of  the  Three  Hundred  and  Twenty-Eighth  Battalion,  Light  Tanks,  and  later 
was  transferred  to  Company  A,  Three  Hundred  Forty-Fifth  Battalion,  Light  Tanks. 
He  served  in  the  Argonne  sector  from  October  21  to  January  20,  1919,  and  remained  in 
France  until  March  12,  1919.  Then  he  sailed  for  the  United  States  and  was  discharged 
from  Jefferson  Barracks  April  19,  1919.  Following  his  return  he  served  six  months  as 
adjutant  of  Quentin  Roosevelt  Post  No.  One  of  the  American  Legion  and  is  an  active 
and  interested  member  of  the  order,  serving  as  manager  of  the  post's  ball  team  which 
won  the  championship  of  the  American  Legion  League  in  1920. 

In  St.  Louis,  on  the  22d  day  of  April.  1912,  Mr.  Hudson  was  married  to  Miss  Mollie 
Elizabeth  Allen,  a  daughter  of  James  W.  Allen,  of  Chaffee,  Missouri.  They  have  become 
the  parents  of  two  children,  Ouida  and  Elizabeth.  The  religious  faith  of  Mr.  Hudson 
and  his  wife  is  indicated  by  their  membership  in  the  First  Congregational  church.  He 
is  a  young  man  who  is  alert,  energetic,  actuated  by  a  most  determined  spirit  in  anything 
that  "he  undertakes,  and  in  all  things  measures  up  to  the  highest  standards  of  manhood 
and  citizenship. 


ROBERT  BRUCE  SNOW. 


Robert  Bruce  Snow,  who  has  been  well  known  for  a  long  period  in  connection  with 
the  real  estate  activity  and  financial  interests  of  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  this  city 
February  18,  1864,  his  parents  being  Robert  B.  and  Catherine  M.  (Cummings)  Snow, 
the  fortner  a  native  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  while  the  mother  was  born  in  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania.  The  father  became  a  wholesale  and  retail  drug  merchant  of 
St.  Louis  and  figured  prominently  in  the  commercial  circles  of  the  city.  His  father, 
however,  was  a  lawyer  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  and  was  a  direct  descendant  of 
Jonathan  Snow  of  Massachusetts,  who  landed  at  Plymouth  Colony  in  1630,  thus  repre-' 
senting  one  of  the  oldest  colonial  families.  In  the  maternal  line  the  ancestry  can  be 
traced  back  to  Virginia.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Catherine  M.  Snow  died  when  the  daughter 
was  quite  young  and  she  was  reared  by  an  aunt.  It  was  on  the  15th  of  October,  1850, 
in  St.  Louis,  that  she  became  the  wife  of  Robert  B.  Snow  and  for  many  years  they 
occupied  an  enviable  social  position  in  St.  Louis,  in  harmony  with  the  high  place 
which  Mr.  Snow  filled  as  a  merchant  of  this  city  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1865. 

Robert  B.  Snow  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Smith's  Academy  of  St. 
Louis  and  after  completing  his  studies  traveled  for  two  years  in  the  old  country.  An 
eminent  writer  has  said:  "A  year's  travel  in  Europe  is  equivalent  to  a  four  years  college 
course."  During  his  tour  abroad,  Jlr.  Snow  visited  many  points  of  modern  and  historic 
interest,  gaining  that  broad  and  liberal  culture  which  can  be  acquired  in  no  other  way 
as  thoroughly  as  in  travel.  Upon  his  return  to  St.  Louis  he  made  his  initial  step  in 
business  circles  by  becoming  identified  with  the  wholesale  woodenware  and  willow- 
ware  trade.  At  a  later  period  he  became  connected  with  the  Belcher  Sugar  Refinery 
and  afterwards  went  to  Texas  for  his  health,  remaining  for  about  a  year  in  San  Antonio 
and  Ft.  Worth.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  again  came  to  St.  Louis  and  entered 
the  wholesale  paper  business  in  which  he  engaged  for  about  two  years  or  until  1888. 
He  next  took  up  the  stock  brokerage  business  and  became  one  of  the  fifty  organizers 
of  the  old  St.  Louis  Mining  Stock  Exchange.  In  1896  he  was  associated  with  M.  R. 
Collins,  Jr.,  &  Company  in  the  real  estate  business  and  was  thus  engaged  for  three  years 
or  until  Mr.  Collins'  retirement  from  business  in  1899.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Snow  has 
operated  in  real  estate  and  financial  circles  in  connection  with  the  settlement  of  estates 
as  executor  and  manager,  and  he  is  also  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Chew  Realty 
Company.    He  spent  the  years  1900  and  1901  in  California  for  the  benefit  of  his  health. 


CEXTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  :MISS0URI  109 

but  while  absent  from  St.  Louis  at  different  periods  he  has  always  regarded  this  city 
as  his  home  and  is  well  known  in  its  financial  and  business  circles  and  also  through 
a  prominent  social  connection. 

In  1903,  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Snow  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Pulliam  Wherry,  daughter 
of  Joseph  A.  and  Sallie  (Pulliam)  Wherry.  Her  father  was  recorder  of  the  city  of  St. 
Louis  and  manager  and  owner  of  the  Municipal  Record  Company  of  the  city.  Mr.  Snow 
is  a  Master  Mason,  belonging  to  Ferguson  Lodge  No.  542,  and  in  this  he  follows  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  father.  He  is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing  and  enjoys  all  manly  sports. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  a  member  of  Company  K  of  the  First  Regiment, 
Missouri  Home  Guards,  during  its  existence.  He  makes  his  home  at  Ferguson  in  St. 
Louis  county  and  the  life  of  the  household  is  the  son,  Robert  Bruce  Snow,  HI,  fourteen 
years  of  age,  who  is  very  active  in  Boy  Scout  work  and  much  interested  in  military 
matters — an  interest  that  has  been  stimulated  by  the  fact  that  his  uncle  was  the  late 
Brigadier  General  Wm.  M.  Wherry  of  the  United  States  army.  The  lad  is  anxious  to  go 
to  West  Point  and  is  a  most  loyal  follower  of  the  Boy  Scout  movement.  He  is  the  third 
generation  of  the  family  in  St.  Louis,  his  paternal  grandparents  having  come  to  this 
city  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  since  which  time  the  name  of  Snow  has 
been  closely  associated  with  the  business  and  financial  development  of  the  metropolis. 


CLARENCE  C.  NORTHCOTT. 

Clarence  C.  Northcott  is  the  president  of  the  Hicks-Northcott  Title  and  Investment 
Company  at  Macon  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in  financial  circles  of  his  section  of  the 
state.  He  was  born  at  Linneus,  Missouri,  in  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  J.  and  Eliza 
C.  (Ball)  Northcott.  The  father,  a  native  of  Illinois,  was  a  son  of  B.  F.  Northcott,  a 
native  of  Kentucky.  Benjamin  J.  Northcott  was  an  attorney,  who  practiced  law  at 
Linneus  until  he  removed  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  filled  a  position  in  the  pension 
department,  being  still  a  resident  of  the  capital  city.     His  wife  was  born  in  Missouri. 

Clarence  C.  Northcott  of  this  review  pursued  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Linneus 
and  afterward  learned  telegi'aphy,  which  he  followed  for  several  years,  being  connected 
with  all  branches  of  telegraphic  service  for  a  period  of  nineteen  years,  or  until  the  1st 
of  January,  1907,  when  he  purchased  the  interest  of  his  brother  in  a  farm  loan,  abstract 
and  real  estate  business,  in  which  he  has  since  been  engaged.  This  is  operating  under 
the  name  of  the  Hicks-Northcott  Title  and  Investment  Company  and  in  1916  Clarence 
Northcott  was  elected  to  the  presidency  of  the  corporation,  which  now  has  a  large 
clientage  and  is  conducting  a  constantly  growing  and  profitable  business.  His  associate 
oflacers  are  C.  C.  Wood,  vice  president,  and  C.  V.  Goodson,  secretary.  The  company 
negotiates  loans  on  farm  lands,  makes  abstracts  and  writes  farm  and  city  insurance 
and  their  clientage  is  extensive  and  gratifying. 

In  1897  Mr.  Northcott  was  married  to  Miss  Hattie  Wilkinson,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
P.  and  Mary  F.  Wilkinson.  They  are  both  representatives  of  old  Missouri  families  and 
socially  occupy  a  very  prominent  and  enviable  position  in  Macon. 


GEORGE  W.  CLARKSON. 


George  W.  Clarkson,  who  since  1908  has  been  identified  with  banking  interests  of 
St.  Louis,  is  now  president  of  the  Grand  Avenue  Bank,  having  occupied  the  position 
for  ten  years.  Missouri  numbers  him  among  her  native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred 
at  Annapolis,  Iron  county,  July  6,  1875.  His  parents  were  Joseph  G.  and  Mary  E. 
(Covington)  Clarkson.  His  ancestors  were  from  Virginia,  and  the  father  was  for  four 
years  a  member  of  the  Confederate  army,  serving  with  Stuart's,  cavalry.  He  and  his 
brother,  James  L.  Clarkson,  became  pioneer  lumbermen  of  Missouri,  hauling  a  complete 
sawmill  outfit  across  the  country  from  Potosi,  Missouri,  to  a  point  where  they  built  a 
mill  and  laid  out  and  established  the  town  of  Annapolis.  There  they  successfully 
operated,  furnishing  all  the  bridge  timber  and  the  cross  ties  to  the  St.  Louis  &  Iron 
Mountain  Railway  at  the  time  of  the  construction  of  the  road.  Their  business  steadily 
increased,  becoming  one  of  the  most  important  industrial  enterprises  of  the  state. 

George  W.  Clarkson,  in  the  pursuit  of  his  education,  attended  the  public  schools  and 


no  CEXTEXXIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

spent  three  years  at  the  Missouri  Military  Academy  at  Mexico.  Missouri,  and  afterward 
studied  in  the  manual  training  school  at  St.  Louis.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  starten 
out  in  the  business  world  in  connection  with  flour  milling,  and  was  active  along  that 
line  for  eight  years,  until  1904,  when  he  left  Missouri  and  went  to  Buffalo,  Xew  York, 
where  he  became  manufacturer's  agent,  specializing  in  the  handling  of  flour  milling 
machinery.  There  he  remained  for  four  years  and  was  very  successful.  In  1908  he 
came  to  St.  Louis  to  engage  in  the  banking  business  and  has  since  been  a  representative 
of  the  financial  interests  of  the  city.  He  his  continuously  been  associated  with  the 
Grani  Avenue  bank  and  has  advanced  through  intermediate  positions  to  the  presidency, 
so  that  he  is  now  active  in  the  control  of  the  institution  and  the  task  of  shaping  its 
policy. 

On  the  14th  of  April,  1897,  Mr.  Clarkson  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Letty  Smith 
at  Potosi.  Missouri,  the  second  oldest  town  in  the  state.  Her  parents  were  James  L. 
and  Ida  Smith  and  their  ancestors  were  from  Kentucky.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarkson 
have  been  born  two  children,  Hallie  Browne  and  George  W..  aged  respectively  nineteen 
and  seventeen  years. 

Politically  Mr.  Clarkson  is  a  democrat  and  is  muck  interested  in  anything  that  has 
to  do  with  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  the  city.  He  belongs  to  the  St.  Louis  and 
Bankers  Clubs,  also  to  the  Associate  Bankers'  Club  of  St.  Louis,  and  Missouri  Society  of 
the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  His  religious  connection  is  with  St.  John's 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  South.  From  early  pioneer  times  the  Clarkson  family 
have  been  represented- in  this  state,  and  George  W.  Clarkson  has  followed  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  father  in  his  contribution  to  the  development  and  building  of  the  common- 
wealth. 


HENRY  S.  PRIEST. 


It  has  been  said  that  to  understand  the  nature  of  a  man  one  must  know  some- 
thing of  his  ancestry  back  through  several  generations  and  something  of  his  environ- 
ment, for  those  are  forces  which  help  to  shape  character,  the  third  influence  being 
that  of  the  selective  will.  Henry  S.  Priest  has  lived  through  a  most  momentous 
period  in  American  history  and  the  shaping  of  public  thought  and  opinion  as  the 
years  have  passed  has  had  marked  influence  over  his  career.  Events  which  have  left 
their  impress  upon  the  annals  of  the  nation  have  developed  in  him  the  strongest 
and  best.  His  father,  Thomas  Jefferson  Priest,  was  born  in  Loudoun  county,  Vir- 
ginia, in  1819,  a  member  of  a  family  whose  attachment  to  Thomas  Jefferson  accounts 
for  his  Christian  name;  and  events  which  made  themselves  manifest  in  the  records 
of  the  country,  awakening  the  attention  of  such  men  as  Thomas  Jefferson,  had  to 
do  with  molding  the  character  of  the  father.  In  those  days  education  in  Virginia 
demanded  a  real  knowledge  of  Latin  and  mathematics  and  Thomas  Jefferson  Priest 
was  taught  by  Dodd  of  textbook  fame  and  later  arrived  in  Missouri  as  a  teacher 
of  mathematics  and  Latin  in  St.  Charles  College  at  St.  Charles,  this  state.  How- 
ever, he  became  a  resident  of  Ralls  county.  Missouri,  at  that  period  when  settlers 
from  Virginia,  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  were  becoming  pioneers  of  Missouri,  bring- 
ing with  them  a  trend  of  thought  that  left  its  impress  upon  the  history  of  the  com- 
monwealth under  the  administration  of  Franklin  Pierce  and  still  more  notably  under 
that  of  James  Buchanan.  This  included  a  devotion  to  the  south,  as  demonstrated  on 
such  issues  as  tree  soil  and  squatter  sovereignty  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  at  a  time 
when  those  most  devoted  to  the  south,  including  Thomas  Jefferson  Priest,  supported 
Green  against  Colonel  Thomas  H.  Benton.  It  was  following  the  removal  of  Thomas 
Jefferson  Priest  with  his  family  to  Ralls  county  that  Henry  Samuel  Priest  was  there 
born  February  7,  1853.  His  birth  occurred  not  quite  a  month  before  the  Inaugura- 
tion of  Franklin  Pierce,  when  vital  questions  were  coming  to  the  front  having  to 
do  with  the  shaping  of  the  nation's  destiny.  According  to  the  family  recognition  of 
the  value  of  knowledge,  he  was  given  liberal  educational  advantages  and  was  gradu- 
ated from  'Westminster  College  at  Fulton,  Missouri,  in  the  class  of  1872  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  followed  in  due  course  of  time  by  that  of  LL.  D.  His 
mother.  Amelia  E.  (Brown)  Priest,  represented  connections  with  Virginia  through 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  including  the  family  of  Samuel  Houston,  founder  of  the 
republic  of  Texas.     Following  the  completion  of  his  more  specifically  literary  course 


HENRY  S.  PRIEST 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  113 

he  became  a  law  student  in  the  office  of  Major  Mark  E.  Houston  at  Taylorsville, 
Kentucky,  and  later  continued  his  studies  under  the  direction  of  Judge  James  E. 
Carr  of  Hannibal,  Missouri,  then  general  attorney  for  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph 
Railroad,  one  of  the  pioneer  lines  of  Missouri  and  the  west,  there  remaining  until 
admitted  to  the  bar  by  Judge  John  T.  Reed  at  Hannibal  in  1873.  At  Moberly  he 
entered  upon  a  career  of  success  as  a  representative  of  the  legal  profession  which 
identifies  him  closely  with  the  history  of  Missouri.  With  the  exception  of  his 
brief  absence  in  Kentucky  during  his  early  law  student  days,  his  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  Missouri  and  through  the  period  when  not  only  the  destiny  of  the  state 
was  being  shaped  but  when  Missouri  enterprise  was  making  itself  felt  upon  the 
history  of  the  nation.  His  activities,  too,  brought  him  into  close  association  with 
many  men  then  and  later  known  as  eminent  citizens.  His  first  fee  at  the  bar, 
amounting  to  about  ten  dollars,  was  loaned  to  a  young  friend  who  has  occasionally 
been  his  opponent  in  the  practice  of  law  but  always  a  friend.  This  was  Champ  Clark, 
then  of  Pike  county  and  long  an  outstanding  figure  in  national  history. 

It  was  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  that  Thomas  Jeiferson  Priest 
passed  away  and  very  soon  afterward  Henry  S.  Priest  was  admitted  to  practice 
and  was  soon  recognized  as  a  "rising  man,"  for  Moberly  made  him  city  attorney  and 
after  eight  years'  connection  with  the  bar  there  he  was  appointed  assistant  attor- 
ney for  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad,  appearing  in  important  cases  in  this  capacity 
from  October,  1881.  until  the  1st  of  December,  1883,  when  he  was  appointed  attorney 
for  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  Railroad,  now  the  Wabash  system.  As  he  passed 
from  the  twenties  into  the  succeeding  decade  of  his  life  he  became  well  known 
throughout  the  state  and.  more  than  that,  the  state  became  equally  well  known  to 
him  in  all  of  those  things  which  have  marked  its  material,  political,  intellectual 
and  moral  progress.  It  has  been  said  that  the  thing  which  differentiates  the  Mis- 
sourian  from  people  of  other  states  is  character — character  that  has  been  developed 
through  the  trying  experiences  through  which  the  commonwealth  has  passed,  and 
furthermore  it  is  said  that  freedom  from  all  assumption  of  superiority  is  one  of  the 
strongly  marked  traits  of  the  Missourian.  When  on  the  1st  of  December,  1890, 
Mr.  Priest  was  appointed  general  attorney  for  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad,  its  inter- 
ests and  those  of  the  development  of  the  state  through  its  railroad  expansion  cer- 
tainly demanded  his  natural  Missouri  qualities  as  much  as  they  did  his  great  and 
increasing  knowledge  of  corporation  law  and  other  branches  of  law  in  legal  combats 
which   were   often   heated   and   always   strongly   contested. 

In  1894,  under  the  second  Cleveland  administration,  Mr.  Priest  was  appointed 
judge  of  the  United  States  district  court  as  the  successor  of  Judge  Thayer.  After 
a  year's  service  on  the  bench  he  resigned  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Boyle,  Priest  &  Lehman  and  of  Boyle  &  Priest  after  the  re- 
tirement of  Mr.  Lehman.  In  this  connection  he  tried  many  cases  of  record  importance 
whose  influence  was  felt  beyond  the  city  and  state.  His  effectiveness  as  a  speaker 
is  manifest  in  his  many  condensed  and  epigrammatic  phrases,  which  have  been  in 
circulation  long  after  their  origin  has  been  forgotten.  However  great  the  opposition 
which  he  met  in  the  trial  of  cases  and  no  matter  what  the  "deliberate  unpopularity" 
of  his  clients,  the  personal  qualities  of  Judge  Priest  won  the  friendship  of  his  oppo- 
nents and  in  this  he  displayed  a  quality  too  rare  at  the  bar  and  in  public  life — that  of 
being  able  to  consider  as  friends  those  who  had  tried  hardest  to  defeat  his  purposes. 
All  this  made  for  a  personal  popularity  that  won  for  Judge  Priest  unanimous  election 
as  president  of  the  Missouri  Bar  Association  in  1891. 

It  was  on  the  19th  of  August,  1912,  that  Judge  Priest  wedded  Mabel  C. 
Watrous,  of  St.  Louis,  who  became  his  second  wife.  He  had  been  married  November  9, 
1876,  to  Henrietta  King  Parsell,  who  passed  away  in  1910  and  who  was  a  daughter 
of  George  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Wright)  Parsell,  of  Webster  Groves,  Missouri,  but 
formerly  of  Portland,  Maine.  Her  father  had  been  identified  with  railroad  develop- 
ment as  one  of  the  pioneers,  while  the  family  in  New  England  dates  back  to  the  first 
Pilgrim  settlement.  The  children  of  this  marriage  were  George  T.,  Grace  E.,  Jean- 
nette  B.  and  Wells  Blodgett  Priest. 

In  a  summary  of  the  history  of  Henry  S.  Priest  and  the  characterization  of  the 
man,  one  must  again  revert  to  those  momentous  periods  which  were  shaping  the 
destiny  of  Missouri.  It  was  in  the  fifth  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  that  Thomas 
H.  Benton  became  the  foremost  promoter  of  railroad  building  in  Missouri.  In 
Lucien  Carr's  "Missouri,  a  Bone  of  Contention,"  appearing  in  the  American  Com- 
monwealth series,  he  said:     "In  the  fourteen  years  that  elapsed  between   1836   and 

Vol.  Ill— 8 


114  CEXTENNIAT.  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

1850.  there  was  a  notable  growth  in  the  wealth  and  population  of  the  state,  and 
with  it  came  a  change  in  the  opinions  of  those  who  had  succeeded  in  the  manage- 
ment of  her  finances.  To  a  certain  extent,  the  departure  which  now  took  place  from 
the  conservative  which  had  hitherto  prevailed,  can  be  justified.  The  state  was  vir- 
tually out  of  debt;  her  revenue  had  largely  increased,  and  granting  that  it  is  ever 
right  for  a  state  to  engage  in  works  of  internal  improvements,  or  'developing  her 
resources,'  as  works  of  this  kind  were  called,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  time  had 
now  come  when  the  people  of  Missouri  could  afford  to  indulge  in  such  an  under- 
taking. The  trouble,  however,  when  a  state  embarks  in  a  business  of  this  kind,  is  to 
find  a  stopping  place.  The  doors  of  the  public  treasury  having  been  once  thrown 
open,  local  interests  step  in.  and  as  each  section  of  the  state  has  an  undoubted  claim 
to  recognition,  it  often  ends  in  a  general  scramble  for  the  spoils.  Such  seems  to 
have  been  the  case  in  the  present  instance.  No  sooner  was  it  understood  that  the 
Missouri  Pacific  road  was  to  receive  a  subvention  from  the  public  purse  than  there 
arose  the  demand  for  other  trunk  roads,  to  each  of  which  the  state  was  expected 
to  lend  assistance.  In  quick  succession,  the  Southwest  Branch,  as  the  St.  Louis  & 
San  Francisco  was  then  called,  the  Iron  Mountain  and  the  North  Missouri  roads 
were  chartered,  and  in  the  short  space  of  eight  years,  including  the  sums  voted  to  the 
Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph,  these  different  roads  received  from  the  state  in  the  shape 
of  guaranteed  bonds,  loans  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  about  twenty-four  million 
dollars.  Upon  this  sum,  the  roads  were  expected  to  pay  the  interest;  but  inasmuch 
as  with  but  one  exception  they  failed  to  do  so,  the  state  became  bound  for  the  entire 
sum  upon  which  default  was  made,  amounting  to  some  twenty  million  dollars.  At 
the  time  this  was  a  heavy  load,  especially  when  supplemented,  as  it  was  soon  after- 
wards, by  the  large  stims  which  the  state  was  called  upon  to  pay  out  during  the  war 
of  the  rebellion.  However,  by  Judicious  management  and  a  willingness  on  the  part 
of  her  citizens  to  meet  these  additional  expenditures  by  a  corresponding  increase  in 
the  rate  of  taxation,  a  goodly  portion  of  this  debt  has  already  been  discharged,  and 
the  balance,  amounting  in  1887  to  fourteen  million  dollars,  has  been  so  placed  that  it 
can  be  met  without  causing  undue  hardship.  To  a  great  extent,  this  result  has 
been  brought  about  by  the  very  development  these  roads  were  intended  to  effect;  and 
to  grieve,  therefore,  over  the  amount  which  they  have  cost,  or  which  is  yet  due,  is  as 
idle  as  would  be  'the  lamentation  of  a  boy  over  the  loss  of  the  bait  with  which 
he  had  caught  the  fish.'  " 

It  was  about  the  time  of  the  beginning  of  railroad  development  in  Missouri  that 
Henry  S.  Priest  was  born.  It  was  in  the  same  decade  that  Thomas  H.  Benton 
made  his  memorable  speech  in  support  of  the  development  of  the  natural  resources  . 
of  the  state  through  railroad  construction,  epigrammatically  expressing  the  situation 
in'the  words:  "There  is  east;  there  is  India."  Great  as  were  the  plans,  the  ideals 
and  the  labors  of  Benton,  destiny  intervened.  Studying  the  history  of  events  and 
the  signs  of  the  times,  recognizing  that  the  question  of  slavery  was  becoming  a  para- 
mount one  before  the  republic,  Benton  endeavored  to  make  the  development  of  inter- 
nal resources  the  dominant  political  issue,  but  the  trend  of  events  was  too  strong  for 
him  in  this  regard.  However,  the  era  of  railroad  building  had  been  instituted,  politics 
had  been  brought  to  play  in  gaining  financial  support  for  the  roads  and  Missouri 
was  thus  taking  its  place  as  a  vital  force  in  the  development  of  the  United  States 
through  the  extension  of  the  railroad  lines  toward  the  Pacific.  Benton  had  appealed 
to  Missouri  to  take  the  lead  in  developing  the  hemisphere  and  his  appeal  met  with 
enthusiastic  response.  Among  his  active  supporters  were  Frank  P.  Blair  and  B. 
Gratz  Brown.  In  connection  with  the  railroad  building  there  sprung  up  an  era  of 
town  founding,  leading  in  later  years  to  the  promotion  of  the  state.  Among  these 
villages  founded  in  the  woods  along  the  lines  of  the  railroads  was  that  of  Webster 
Groves,  where  resided  Judge  Priest.  He  thus  became  interested  in  questions  having 
to  do  with  the  railroad  development  of  the  state.  He  was  a  young  man,  first  a  law 
student  and  later  a  young  practicing  attorney,  at  the  period  when  Missouri,  somewhat 
recovering  from  the  conditions  brought  about  by  the  Civil  war,  was  again  taking  up 
the  work  of  expansion;  and  again  the  questions  affecting  the  commonwealth  were 
of  vital  interest  to  a  man  of  his  character  and  tendencies.  With  his  developing 
powers  as  an  attorney  he  was  chosen  as  the  legal  representative  of  railroad  interests 
and  in  the  tw^enty  years  of  the  period  covering  the  '70s  and  the  '80s  he  came  more 
and  more  into  intimate  association  with  men  who.  as  makers  of  Missouri  history,  had 
realized  in  their  own  lives  the  meaning  of  the  term  "maximum  cost"  in  relation  to  the 


CEXTExYNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  115 

development  of  the  commonwealth  and  the  country.  They  were  men  who  faced  the 
momentous  problems  that  involved  Missouri — men  with  whom  it  was  a  liberal  educa- 
tion to  be  associated,  men  who  in  the  bitterness  of  heated  political  controversy  involv- 
ing the  important  questions  of  the  times  had  come  to  realize  silently  the  nature  of 
their  own  failings  as  well  as  their  own  strength  and  were  thereby  developing  char- 
acters that  left  their  impress  upon  the  annals  of  the  commonwealth.  They  were 
men  who,  while  at  times  they  might  seem  to  display  qualities  least  admirable,  had 
in  them  the  reserve  forces  which  develop  at  crises  and  who  learned  in  time  to  recog- 
nize the  substantial  qualities  even  in  those  who  were  their  strong  opponents.  They 
were  the  men  who  undertook  the  remaking  of  the  commonwealth  interrupted  by  the 
war — men  who  shaped  the  destinies  of  the  state  during  the  period  following  hostili- 
ties, the  men  who  connected  the  generation  of  Benton  and  Blair  with  the  present, 
bridging  over  that  period  of  change  in  political  opinion  that  at  length  brought  Missouri 
again  into  democratic  control.  Under  Phelps,  Crittenden  and  Marmaduke  were  shaped 
the  law  and  the  politics  that  preceded  every  .additional  thousand  miles  of  track 
laying  in  Missouri  and  westward  beyond  the  state.  As  a  young  lawyer  Judge  Henry 
S.  Priest  was  closely  studying  all  these  problems  and  building  the  foundation  for  his 
great  activity  in  railrogd  circles.  With  the  accession  of  Governor  Marmaduke,  a  Con- 
federate general,  as  the  successor  of  Crittenden,  a  Union  general,  the  democratic 
party,  thus  reorganized,  was  held  responsible  for  the  work  of  development  inside 
Missouri  and  for  the  state's  part  in  the  western  development — a  responsibility  that 
was  increased  with  the  election  of  Grover  Cleveland  to  the  presidency.  The  railroad 
policy  of  Benton,  inaugurated  many  years  before,  was  now  put  into  practice,  resulting 
in  railroad  construction,  with  new  towns  founded  along  their  lines  and  homeseekers 
located  in  increasing  thousands  every  year.  It  has  always  been  a  question,  "when 
legislation  becomes  the  supporter  of  projects  of  this  nature,  where  can  the  matter 
stop?"  As  the  American  railroads  were  developing.  Judge  Priest  became  intimately 
concerned  with  every  step  in  Missouri  having  to  do  with  this  work.  As  a  corporation 
lawyer  his  wisdom  was  brought  to  bear  on  the  multiplicity  of  problems  and  he  has 
always  stood  with  those  men  who  have  caught  a  vision  of  the  future,  who  have 
recognized  the  scope  of  possibility  as  bearing  upon  the  development  of  the  common- 
wealth and  of  the  country  at  large.  Not  only  has  he  been  an  associate  of  those  men 
who  have  molded  the  history  of  Missouri  but  has  ofttimes  been  a  leader  among 
those  who  have  shaped  its  destiny  within  the  past  few  decades. 


HUGH  BRAMMER. 


Hugh  Brammer,  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Rotherham, 
England,  July  15,  1873.  His  father,  James  Brammer,  a  native  of  the  same  country,  came 
to  America  in  1889  and  has  been  continuously  employed  as  a  machinist  in  railway 
service.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  L^mb  and  was  also  a  repre- 
sentative of  an  English  family,  has  passed  away.  They  became  the  parents  of  two  sons, 
the  younger  being  James. 

Hugh  Brammer  obtained  a  grammar  school  education  in  his  native  country  and 
after  the  removal  of  the  family  to  the  new  world  continued  his  preparatory  and  academic 
studies  in  St.  Louis.  From  1904  until  1906  he  was  a  law  student  in  the  Metropolitan 
School  of  Law  and  at  various  periods  studied  in  the  City  College  of  Law  and  Finance 
and  received  his  LL.  B.  degree  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1911.  He  passed  the  state 
bar  examination  in  1914  and  was  also  admitted  to  practice  in  the  federal  courts.  His 
law  education  was  secured  while  he  was  working  in  order  to  provide  for  his  living,  his 
studies  being  pursued  in  leisure  hours.  Since  being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  has  continued 
actively  and  successfully  in  the  general  practice  of  law,  making  steady  progress  as  a 
representative  of  the  legal  profession. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  1900,  Mr.  Brammer  was  married  to  Miss  Julia  Hoffman 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  Hubert  and  Frederick.  The  former 
enlisted  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  in  the  United  States  Marines  and  served  for  two 
years  in  Cuba  and  Hayti.  Mr.  Brammer  volunteered  for  home  service  in  connection 
with  the  World  war,  solicited  funds  for  the  Red  Cross  and  assisted  in  the  Liberty  Loan 
activities.  He  also  served  on  the  advisory  board  of  the  twenty-seventh  ward  gratuitously 
throughout  the  entire  period  of  America's  connection  with  the  allied  forces. 

Politically  Mr.  Br:  mmer  is  a  republican   and  fraternally  he   is  connected   with   the 


116  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  also  the  Protective  Home  Circle  and  the  Loyal  Order  of 
Moose.  He  has  many  warm  friends  in  these  organizations  and  has  made  for  himself 
a  creditable  position  in  his  chosen  profession.  In  fact  he  deserves  much  credit  for  what 
he  has  accomplished,  for  his  education  has  been  acquired  entirely  through  his  own 
efforts,  and  he  has  truly  won  the  proud  American  title  of  a  self-made  man. 


EDWARDS  WHITAKER. 


Various  corporate  interests  have  felt  the  stimulus  of  the  enterprise  and  initiative 
of  Edwards  Whitaker  and  have  been  brought  into  form  as  splendidly  organized  con- 
cerns under  his  guidance.  He  has  indeed  played  a  prominent  part  on  the  stage  of 
business  activity  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  financiers. 
The  city  is  proud  to  number  him  among  her  native  sons.  He  was  here  born  April  29, 
1848,  his  parents  being  William  A,  and  Letitia  (Edwards)  Whitalier.  He  was  but 
five  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death  but  was  carefully  reared  by  his 
mother,  a  lady  of  high  character  and  excellent  intellectual  attainment.  He  was  a 
public  school  pupil  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years  and  when  he  left  the  high  school  he 
accepted  a  position  under  Colonel  L.  S.  Metcalf  in  the  quartermaster's  department  of 
the  United  States  army.  During  the  closing  year  of  the  Civil  war  he  served  as  shipping 
clerk  in  that  department  and  thus  gained  his  first  knowledge  of  practical  business.  It 
was  an  excellent  training  school,  tor  the  discipline  maintained  in  all  departments  of 
the  army  constituted  the  basis  of  his  well  known  habit  of  doing  everything  with  military 
precision.  A  modern  writer  has  said:  "Success  does  not  depend  upon  a  map  but  upon 
a  time-table."  This  fact  Mr.  Whitaker  early  recognized  and  throughout  his  life  every- 
thing that  he  has  had  to  do  has  been  done  promptly  and  with  accuracy. 

After  leaving  the  quartermaster's  department  Mr.  Whitaker  obtained  a  clerkship 
in  the  sub-treasury  under  General  A.  G,  Edwards  and  later  became  associated  with 
General  Edwards  in  the  brokerage  and  banking  house  of  Edwards  &  Matthews.  When 
General  Edwards  withdrew  as  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm,  Mr.  Whitaker  joined 
Mr.  Matthews  under  the  style  of  Matthews  &  Whitaker.  a  relation  that  was  continued 
for  fourteen  years.  The  firm  of  Wbitaker  &  Hodgman  was  then  formed,  fpUowing 
the  withdrawal  of  Mr,  Matthews,  and  eventually  the  firm  style  of  Whitaker  &  Company 
was  adopted  and  has  been  so  continued. 

From  each  experience  in  lite  Mr.  Whitaker  has  learned  the  lessons  therein  con- 
tained and  the  knowledge  gained  through  banking  and  brokerage  business  enabled 
him  to  prove  a  prominent  factor  in  the  successful  direction  of  various  other  important 
business  and  financial  interests.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  the  president  of  the 
Lindell  Railway  Company  and  is  now  president  and  one  ot  the  directors  of  the  Boat- 
men's Bank,  the  oldest  financial  institution  of  the  city,  a  director  of  the  St.  Louis 
Union  Trust  Company  and  a  stockholder  in  various  other  business  concerns.  He  be- 
came the  first  president  of  the  United  Railway  Company,  after  having  taken  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  consolidation  of  the  street  railway  systems  of  the  city.  He  conducted 
the  negotiations  which  secured  the  terminal  property  in  St.  Louis  for  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Company,  and  many  other  financial  transactions  of 
large  import  to  the  city  have  benefited  by  his  cooperation,  his  keen  business  sagacity 
and  wise  discernment  in  separating  the  essential  features  of  a  situation  from  its 
incidental  or  accidental   circumstances. 

In  1874  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Whitaker  and  Miss  Sophia  A.  Taylor, 
a  daughter  of  Thomas  M.  Taylor,  of  St.  Louis.  Theirs  is  one  of  the  beautiful  and 
attractive  homes  of  the  city,  noted  for  its  warm-hearted  hospitality.  Mr.  Whitaker  is 
keenly  appreciative  of  the  social  amenities  of  life  and  holds  friendship  inviolable. 
He  belongs  to  a  number  of  the  leading  social  organizations  of  St.  Louis,  including 
the  Noonday,  St.  Louis,  Cuivre,  Commercial  and  Country  Clubs,  also  the  Union,  Man- 
hattan and  Mid-Day  Clubs  ot  New  York.  Nor  has  his  attention  been  concentrated 
alone  along  lines  that  have  had  to  do  with  his  business  progress  and  his  social 
activities.  He  has  ever  recognized  the  duties  and  obligations  as  well  as  the  privileges 
and  opportunities  of  citizenship  and  has  cooperated  in  many  movements  which  have 
been  valuable  factors  in  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  St.  Louis  and  the  main- 
tenance ot  its  high  civic  standards.  He  is  the  president  of  the  Missouri  Botanical 
Garden,  a  member  ot  the  Business  Men's  League  and  ot  the  Civic  League.  He  has 
ever  been  a  man  of  broad  vision  and  he  looks  at   all  public  questions   from   the  same 


EDWARDS  WHITAKER 


THI  NIW  TORI 


CEXTEXNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  119 

wide  standpoint  that  has  characterized  his  understaniding  of  commercial  and  financial 
questions.  To  him  opportunity  has  ever  be«n  the  call  to  action — a  call  to  which  he 
has  made  ready  response  not  only  in  his  business  career  but  in  his  citizenship  connec- 
tions as  well.  Forceful  and  resourceful,  he  never  stops  short  of  the  successful 
accomplisliment  of  his  purpose  and  his  course  of  action  has  ever  been  such  as  will 
bear  the  closest  investigation  and   scrutiny. 


CAPTAIX  JAMES  F.  DAVIDSON. 

Captain  James  F.  Davidson,  who  has  passed  the  eightieth  milestone  on  life's 
journey,  is  now  living  retired  at  Hannibal,  but  tor  many  years  was  an  active  and  well 
known  representative  of  the  Missouri  bar.  He  was  born  at  Eureka,  Woodford  county, 
Illinois,  in  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Caleb  and  Martha  (Glazebrook)  Davidson,  who  were 
natives  of  Kentucky  and  removed  to  Illinois  the  year  before  the  Black  Hawk  war. 

Captain  Davidson  pursued  his  early  education  in  his  native  city  and  continued  his 
studies  in  Eureka  College  and  in  the  Michigan  State  University,  from  both  of  which 
institutions  he  was  graduated.  When  in  his  junior  year  at  the  University  of  Michigan 
he  entered  the  Union  army,  serving  for  three  years  in  defense  of  the  Federal  government. 
He  joined  the  "Boys  in  Blue"  as  a  first  lieutenant  and  was  promoted  to  a  captaincy  in 
1864.  When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  military  aid  he  again  entered  college  and 
completed  his  law  course  about  1868.  He  then  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  entered 
upon  the  active  practice  of  his  profession,  remaining  in  that  city  for  about  twelve  years. 
His  law  office  and  law  library  were  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  of  1871.  He  rendered 
valuable  service  during  that  terrible  disaster.  On  account  of  his  health  he  went  west 
about  1880,  remaining  in  Colorado  for  some  time.  In  1881  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
Hannibal,  Missouri,  where  he  entered  the  stock  business  and  invested  heavily  in  real 
estate.  These  enterprises  occupied  all  of  his  time.  He  was  long  acknowledged  one  of 
the  leading  stock  breeders  of  Missouri.  The  Davidson  stock  farm  was  noted  for  its 
thoroughbred  stock. 

In  1881  Captain  Davidson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Helm,  daughter 
of  Judge  John  B.  and  Mary  A.  (Crump)  Helm.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Kentucky 
and  in  1853  came  to  Missouri,  where  he  practiced  law  for  many  years.  Captain  and 
Mrs.  Davidson  have  two  children:     John  H.,  residing  in  North  Dakota,  and  Mary  A. 

Captain  Davidson  has  long  been  a  stalwart  supporter  of  democratic  principles  and 
on  five  different  occasions  has  been  chosen  by  popular  suffrage  to  represent  his  district 
in  the  state  legislature,  serving  altogether  for  ten  years  as  a  member  of  the  house  of 
representatives,  during  which  time  he  gave  most  thoughtful  and  earnest  consideration 
to  the  vital  questions  which  came  up  for  settlement  and  left  the  impress  of  his  individu- 
ality upon  the  legislative  history  of  the  state.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Masons  and  the  Elks  and  the  guiding  spirit  of  his  lite  is  indicated  in  his  membership 
in  the  Christian  church. 


JOSEPH  LOUIS  HORNSBY. 


Joseph  Louis  Hornsby,  who  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  maintained  his 
law  office  in  the  Rialto  Building,  in  St.  Louis,  and  who  for  forty-two  years  has  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law,  long  occupying  a  position  of  leadership,  was  born  September  30, 
1856,  in  St.  Louis,  his  parents  being  Nicholas  L.  and  Madeline   (DeLaureal)   Hornsby. 

In  the  acquirement  of  his  education,  he  was  graduated  from  the  St.  Louis  University 
with  the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  in  1874,  while  in  1878  the  Master  of  Arts  degree  was 
conferred  upon  him.  In  the  meantime  he  began  preparation  for  the  legal  profession  as 
a  student  in  the  St.  Louis  Law  school  and  won  his  LL.  B.  degree  in  1878.  He  had  also 
studied  in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  Hon.  Trusten  Polk,  of  St.  Louis.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1878  and  soon  afterward  became  a  member  of  the  law  firm  ot 
Causey  &  Hornsby.  At  a  later  period  an  exchange  in  the  personnel  of  the  firm  occurred, 
leading  to  the  adoption  of  the  style  of  Bakewell  &  Hornsby,  the  senior  member  being 
Hon.  Roliert  A.  Bakewell,  at  one  time  a  judge  of  the  St.  Louis  court  of  appeals.  Mr. 
Hornsby  afterward  became  a  senior  partner   in   the   firm  of  Hornsby  &   Harris,   which 


120  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

firm  continued  about  five  years,  and  since  1898  Mr.  Hornsby  has  practiced  alone. 
Throughout  the  intervening  years  he  has  enjoyed  a  large  clientage  that  has  connected 
him  with  important  litigation,  and  his  power  as  an  able  lawyer,  a  deep  thinker  and 
logical  reasoner  has  long  been  widely  acknowledged. 

In  June,  1906,  Mr.  Hornsby  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Louise  Shaw,  a  daughter 
of  Philip  and  Amelia  (Cox)  Shaw  and  representative  of  an  old  family  of  St.  Francois 
county,  Missouri.  Her  parents  died  many  years  ago.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hornsby  has 
been  born  a  daughter,  Marie  Louise. 

In  many  connections  outside  the  strict  path  of  his  profession,  Mr.  Hornsby  is  widely 
known.  He  is  a  director  and  vice  president  of  the  Tower  Grove  Bank,  and  has  figured 
prominently  in  connection  with  public  affairs.  His  political  allegiance  is  always  given 
to  the  democratic  party  and  in  1882  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  thirty- 
second  general  assembly  of  Missouri,  of  which  he  remained  a  member  for  the  two-year 
term.  He  was  also  president  of  the  city  council  of  St.  Louis  from  1901  until  1905,  and 
about  1909  Rolla  Wells,  then  mayor  of  the  city,  appointed  him  chairman  of  the  local 
public  service  commission  and  he  so  acted  through  the  existence  of  the  commission,  or 
until  1913,  when  it  was  abolished  and  the  Missouri  Public  Service  Commission  estab- 
lished. Mr.  Hornsby  was  also  a  member  of  the  state  executive  committee  of  the  sound 
money  democratic  party  in  Missouri  in  1896.  He  has  long  been  a  close,  discriminating 
student  of  the  vital  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  and  he  fearlessly  announces  his 
position  and  his  honest  opinion  upon  any  important  public  question.  Mr.  Hornsby  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  was  at  one  time  president  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul 
Society  of  St.  Louis.  He  has  membership  with  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  also 
belongs  to  the  St.  Louis  and  the  Missouri  Bar  Association  and  the  St.  Louis  Law  Library 
Association.  During  the  war  period  he  was  chairman  of  the  draft  board  in  Division 
No.  13.  He  finds  recreation  in  travel  and  fishing  to  which  he  turns  when  leisure  per- 
mits, but  the  greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  one  of  close  connection  with  the  practice 
of  law  and  of  active  and  helpful  interest  in  political  circles  and  upon  many  public 
questions.  He  does  not  hesitate  to  express  his  honest  opinion  so  that  men  have  come 
to  rely  upon  his  word  and  know  that  what  he  says  he  will  do. 


J.  R.  HALL,  M.  D. 


Dr.  J.  R.  Hall  is  numbered  among  the  representatives  of  the  medical  profession 
in  Kansas  City  and  has  won  a  most  creditable  position.  While  he  continues  in  gen- 
eral practice,  he  is  specializing  to  some  extent  on  surgery  and  the  diseases  of  women. 
He  was  born  in  Rochester,  New  York,  September  22,  1867,  his  parents  being  John 
and  Mary  Ann  (Gracey)  Hall,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ireland.  On  leaving 
the  Emerald  isle  they  first  w.ent  to  Canada  and  afterward  to  Rochester,  New  York. 
The  father  died  when  his  son,  Dr.  Hall,  was  very  young,  so  that  the  latter  does  not 
remember  him. 

At  the  usual  age  Dr.  Hall  became  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools  of  Rochester,  New 
York,  and  also  studied  under  private  instruction  until  he  came  to  Kansas  City. 
His  desire  to  become  a  member  of  the  medical  profession  led  him  to  enter  the  Kansas 
City  School  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  which  was  afterward  taken  over  by  the 
Kansas  University.  He  was  graduated  therefrom  in  1904,  with  the  M.  D.  degree, 
and  in  the  same  year  opened  an  office  in  Kansas  City,  where  he  has  since  remained! 
He  keeps  in  close  touch  with  modern  research  and  investigation  along  medical  and 
surgical  lines  and  is  ever  ready  to  adopt  new  ideas  and  methods  which  will  prove  of 
real  value  in  professional  work,  yet  does  not  hastily  discard  old  and  time-tried 
methods,  the  value  of  which  has  long  been  proven.  He  has  been  very  successful  in 
general  practice  and  In  recent  years  he  has  done  especially  good  work  in  the  line 
of  surgery  and  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  women.  He  is  most  conscientious 
and  careful  in  the  performance  of  all  of  his  professional  duties  and  holds  to  the  high- 
est ethical  standards.  As  he  was  beyond  war  age  for  overseas  service.  Dr.  Hall  did 
his  bit  at  home  during  America's  connection  with  the  conflict  with  Germany.  He 
does  most  of  the  surgical  work  at  the  Wesley  Hospital  and  he  has  a  large  and  dis- 
tinctively representative  patronage.  He  belongs  to  the  Jackson  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Missouri  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association, 
and  through  these  avenues  and  also  along  other  lines  of  study  and  investigation  be 


DR.  J.  R.  HALL 


THI  NIW  TORK 
f'UBl.ICLJj^JURY 


ASTt*.,  LmiQl  AN» 


CEXTEXXIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  123 

keeps  thoroughly  informed  concerning  the  latest  advancement   in  the  medical   pro- 
fession. 

In  Cobourg,  Canada,  in  1906,  Dr.  Hall  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lillian 
Woodruff,  who  is  of  English  lineage.  They  have  one  daughter,  Helen,  now  thirteen 
years  of  age.  Dr.  Hall  belongs  to  the  Kiwanis  Club  and  to  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican 
party  and  he  is  a  firm  believer  in  its  principles.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Dr.  Hall  bears  the  reputation  of  being  a  big-hearted,  sympa- 
thetic man  of  kindly  spirit — one  who  sheds  around  him  much  of  life's  sunshine  and 
good  cheer. 


LAMBERT   E.   WALTHER. 


Lambert  E.  Walther,  member  of  the  St.  Louis  bar.  and  a  native  of  the  city,  was 
born  July  4,  1872,  his  parents  being  Lambert  and  Sophia  (Gundlach)  Walther.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of  St.  Louis  and  then  entered  the  law  depart- 
ment of  Washington  University,  where  he  won  his  LL.  B.  degree  in  June,  1894.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  after  practicing  alone  for  a  time  entered  into  partnership 
with  Julius  T.  Muench,  under  the  style  of  Walther  &  Muench.  This  firm  was  dissolved 
in  1909  when  Mr.  Walther  was  appointed  city  counselor.  He  resigned  that  office  in 
1913  and  again  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Muench  and  his  father.  Judge  Hugo 
Muench,  and  the  firm  today  Is  Muench,  Walther  &  Muench,  with  offices  in  the  Title 
Guaranty  building.     Their  practice  is  large  and  of  an  important  character. 

On  the  6th  of  December,  1898,  Mr.  Walther  was  married  to  Miss  Constance  Lynn, 
and  their  children  are  three  in  number:  Gertrude  L.,  Constance  and  Hugo  M.  Frater- 
nally Mr.  Walther  is  a  Mason,  being  a  member  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  and  he  belongs  to 
various  organizations  that  indicate  the  nature  of  his  interest  and  activities  outside  of 
his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  City  Club  and  the  Society  for  Ethical  Culture. 
Politically  he  is  a  republican  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  tor  an  unexpired 
term  in  1908  and  1909.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  St.  Louis,  Missouri  State  and  Amer- 
ican Bar  Associations. 


JOHN  L.  BOWYER. 


John  L.  Bowyer,  who  since  1911  has  been  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  at 
Linneus,  was  born  in  1866,  near  the  city  in  which  he  now  resides.  He  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  Benton  and  Mary  A.  (Alexander)  Bowyer,  the  father  being  the  first  white  male 
child  born  in  Linn  county.  He  was  a  son  of  William  and  Martha  (Tyer)  Bowyer,  the 
former  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  the  latter  of  North  Carolina.  The  grandparents 
came  to  Missouri  about  1828,  settling  in  Howard  county,  and  in  1831  removed  to  Linn 
county,  where  William  Bowyer  engaged  in  farming.  His  son,  Thomas  Benton  Bowyer, 
was  born  December  25.  1833,  and  spent  the  entire  period  of  his  minority  on  his  father's 
farm.  In  fact  he  followed  farming  throughout  his  entire  active  business  life  or  until 
1892,  when  he  removed  to  Linneus  and  there  remained  until  called  to  the  home  be- 
yond on  the  8th  of  January,  1920.  He  was  at  one  time  mayor  of  Linneus,  filling  the 
office  in  1898  and  1899,  and  he  was  also  a  member  of  the  township  board  and  justice 
of  the  peace  for  thirty  years.  His  political  allegiance  was  continuously  given  to  the 
democratic  party  from  the  time  he  attained  his  majority  and  he  was  long  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church,  with  which  he  united  in  1875.  His  activity  in  connection  with 
public  office,  his  enterprise  as  a  farmer  and  his  devotion  to  the  high  principles  of  the 
church  made  him  one  of  the  most  valued  residents  of  his  section. 

John  L.  Bowyer  was  reared  upon  the  homestead  farm  and  acquired  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools.  He  continued  to  give  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  August  1.  1890,  when  he  secured  a  position  in  a  dry  goods  store  at  Linneus 
and  was  thus  active  until  1898.  He  then  removed  to  Brookfleld,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  furniture  and  undertaking  business  until  1903.  when  he  was  elected  county  re- 
corder, filling  the  office  for  two  terms  of  four  years  each,  or  until  1911.  He  retired 
from  the  position  as  he  had  entered  it— with  the  confidence  and  goodwill  of  all  con- 


124  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

cerned— and  on  putting  aside  official  duties  turned  his  attention  to  the  real  estate  and 
insurance  business,  in  which  he  is  still  engaged,  having  gained  a  good  clientage  in  this 
connection.  In  1914  he  was  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  county  bench  and  occu- 
pied that  position  for  the  unexpired  term  of  ten  months,  during  which  period  the  court 
was  moved  to  the  new  courthouse. 

In  June,  1903,  John  L.  Bowyer  was  married  to  Miss  Mattie  Owen,  daughter  of 
Greenberry  and  Susie  (Kilburn)  Owen,  who  were  natives  of  Kentucky  and  at  an  early 
day  came  to  Missouri,  settling  in  Grundy  county. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bowyer  has  always  been  a  democrat  and  has  recently  completed  the 
census  enumeration.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Baptist 
church.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  Linn  county  and  his  history  is  as  an  open 
book  to  his  fellow  townsmen,  who  have  ever  found  him  loyal  in  citizenship,  progressive 
and  reliable  in  business  and  faithful  in  his  friendships. 


ROBERT  A.  ROESSEL 


While  an  active  representative  of  the  bar  for  only  five  years  Robert  A.  Roessel  has 
nevertheless  won  a  position  in  the  ranks  of  the  legal  profession  that  many  an  older 
lawyer  might  well  envy.  He  makes  his  home  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  born  Novem- 
ber 9,  1889,  a  son  of  Victor  L.  and  Hettie  (Optenring)  Roessel.  Both  of  his  grand- 
fathers were  soldiers  in  the  Civil  war  through  the  full  four  years  of  the  continuance 
of  hostilities  between  the  north  and  the  south. 

Robert  A.  Roessel  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis  passing  through 
consecutive  grades  to  the  high  school,  and  in  1909  entered  the  Washington  University 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1913  on  the  completion  of  the  law  course,  winning  the 
degi-ee  of  LL.  B.  He  was  admitted  to  the  state  bar  in  the  same  year  and  to  practice  in 
the  federal  courts  in  1915.  He  has  been  continuously  engaged  in  the  active  work  of  the 
profession  throughout  the  intervening  period. 

On  the  22nd  of  July,  1915,  Mr.  Roessel  was  married  to  Miss  Rita  Monteath  and 
they  have  one  daughter,  Rita  Jane,  three  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Roessel  belongs  to  the  Beta  Theta  Pi  fraternity  and  the  University  Club,  and  his 
religious  faith  is  evidenced  in  his  connection  with  the  Shaw  Avenue  Methodist  Church 
of  St.  Louis.  Politically  he  is  a  republican,  giving  stalwart  allegiance  to  the  party,  yet 
never  seeking  any  public  office.  He  prefers  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon 
his  professional  interests  and  is  at  all  times  loyal  to  the  highest  professional  standards. 
He  is  now  a  member  of  the  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  American  Bar  Associations. 


HARRY  THOMAS  ABERNATHY. 

Familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  banking  business,  holding  to  high  ideals  in  his 
business  career  and  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  progress  at  every  point,  Harry  Thomas 
Abernathy  is  now  the  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Kansas  City,  to 
which  position  he  was  called  in  1908,  having  for  fourteen  years  been  connected  with 
the  institution.  He  was  born  in  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  May  23,  1865.  His  father, 
James  Logan  Abernathy,  removed  to  Leavenworth  in  1854  and  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war  joined  the  Union  army  as  captain  of  Company  A.  Eighth  Kansas  Infantry.  He 
was  afterward  made  a  lieutenant  colonel  and  commanded  his  regiment  in  several  engage- 
ments. Subsequently,  in  the  '70s,  he  organized  the  firm  of  Abernathy,  North  &  Orri- 
son  of  Kansas  City  and  thus  figured  prominently  in  its  commercial  circles.  He  also 
became  one  of  the  founders  of  the  First  National  Bank  in  1886  and  was  its  president  for 
several  years.  He  married  Elizabeth  Martin,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who,  however,  was  reared 
In  Keokuk,  Iowa,  their  marriage  being  celebrated  in  1858. 

Their  son,  Harry  Thomas  Abernathy,  completed  his  education  in  Hamilton  College 
at  Clinton,  New  York,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1887  with  the  Bachelor  of 
Arts  degree.  In  the  same  year  he  initiated  his  business  career  as  a  representative  of 
the  Abernathy  Furniture  Company  of  Kansas  City,  with  which  he  was  closely  associ- 
ated in  the  development  and  conduct  of  the  trade  until  1894.     In  that  year  he  turned 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  125 

his  attention  to  banking,  entering  the  First  National  Bank,  of  which  he  was  made 
assistant  cashier.  While  his  father  was  one  o£  the  founders  and  officials  of  this  insti- 
tution, parental  authority  was  not  exercised  to  win  him  advancement,  which  has  been 
gained  through  Individual  merit,  ability  and  thoroughness.  He  continued  to  serve  as 
assistant  cashier  for  six  years  and  in  1900  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  cashier,  so 
serving  until  1908,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  vice  presidency  and  remains  in  that 
office.  He  has  become  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the  strong  and  forceful  factors  in 
financial  circles  in  Kansas  City  and  in  1918  and  1919  served  as  president  of  the  Kansas 
City  Clearing  House  Association.  Aside  from  his  official  and  directorship  connection 
with  the  First  National  Bank  he  is  also  a  director  of  the  Kansas  City  Title  &  Trust 
Company  and  of  the  Liberty  Trust  Company.  He  still  remains  on  the  directorate  of  the 
Abernathy  Furniture  Company  and  is  a  director  of  the  Duff  &  Repp  Furniture  Company. 
On  the  1st  of  January.  1890,  Mr.  Abernathy  was  married  in  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
to  Miss  Mary  L.  Stevenson,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Anna  Stevenson,  of  that  place. 
Mrs.  Abernathy  was  born  in  1868  and  passed  away  in  1919.  There  were  three  children 
of  that  marriage.  James  Logan  married  Zemula  Johnson,  a  daughter  of  W.  D.  Johnson. 
Taylor  Stevenson,  born  in  Kansas  City,  March  29,  1892,  attended  the  Westport  high 
school  and  also  Hamilton  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  Bachelor  of 
Science  degree  in  1914.  After  three  years'  connection  with  the  First  National  Bank 
he  went  to  the  Gate  City  National  Bank  in  1917  as  assistant  cashier  and  in  the  follow- 
ing year  was  promoted  to  the  cashiership.  He  belongs  to  the  Kansas  City  Club,  to  the 
City  Club  and  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  During  the  period  of  the  World  war  he 
was  connected  with  the  United  States  navy,  on  duty  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  is  now 
a  member  of  the  American  Legion.  He  belongs  to  the  Second  Presbyterian  church. 
In  1915  he  married  Patti  Harding,  daughter  of  John  T.  Harding.  The  youngest  mem- 
ber of  the  family  is  Mary  Stevenson,  who  is  at  home  with  her  father.  Their  religious 
faith  is  indicated  by  their  membership  in  the  Second  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Aber- 
nathy also  belongs  to  the  University,  Country,  Kansas  City  Athletic  and  Bankers  Clubs 
and  he  is  prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  serving  as  treasurer  of  the  Scottish  Rite  bodies 
in  1918,  1919  and  1920.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican,  inclined  toward  an  independent 
course.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  capital  issues  committee  for  the  tenth  federal 
district  during  the  World  war  and  at  all  times  he  Is  actuated  by  an  intense  spirit  of 
loyalty  to  all  those  forces  and  agencies  which  make  for  the  benefit  and  upbuilding  of 
city,  commonwealth  or  country. 


HENRY  W.  KIEL. 


Henry  W.  Kiel,  elected  mayor  of  St.  Louis  on  the  republican  ticket,  is  giving  to  the 
city  a  non-partisan  administration  indicative  of  the  fact  that  he  holds  the  public  welfare 
and  the  interests  of  the  majority  of  the  people  to  be  more  Important  than  partisan  meas- 
ures. In  his  political  work  he  is  building  along  constructive  lines  and  the  results  are 
sure  and  certain.  Mr.  Kiel  is  a  native  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  born  February  21,  1871,  his 
parents  being  Henry  F.  and  Minnie  C.  Kiel.  After  attending  the  public  schools  he  con- 
tinued his  education  in  the  Smith  Academy  and  in  early  life  learned  the  bricklayer's 
trade,  developing  an  efficiency  that  enabled  him  later  to  engage  in  the  brick  contracting 
business,  in  which  he  became  the  successor  of  his  father.  In  this  line  he  has  since 
continued  and  one  of  the  features  of  his  business  success  is  undoubtedly  the  fact  that 
he  has  not  dissipated  his  energies  over  a  wide  and  varied  field  but  has  concentrated 
along  a  single  line,  further  developing  the  powers  and  efficiency  for  which  he  laid  the 
foundation  in  the  early  years  of  his  business  career.  He  is  now  a  prominent  figure  in 
contracting  circles  as  the  senior  partner  in  the  Kiel  &  Danes  Bricklaying  &  Contracting 
Company,  which  enjoys  an  extensive  patronage  and  has  erected  some  of  the  leading 
structures  and  business  blocks  of  the  city. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1892,  Henry  W.  Kiel  was  married  to  Miss  Irene  H.  Moonan 
a  daughter  of  James  and  Jane  Moonan.  Four  children  have  been  born  of  this  marriage; 
Henrietta,  now  the  wife  of  Granville  Hogan;  Elmer  A.,  who  married  Marie  Budde; 
Clarence  V.;  and  Edna  A. 

Mr.  Kiel  is  prominently  known  in  Masonic  circles,  having  attained  the  thirty-second 
degi-ee  of  the  Scottish  Rite,  and  he  is  also  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Royal 


126  CHXTEX'XIAL  HISTOKV  Ol'  MISSOURI 

Arcanum.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the  republican  party,  of  which  he  has  been 
an  advocate  since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  He  has  long  been 
keenly  interested  in  politics,  has  become  a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks  of  his  party 
and  on  the  1st  of  April,  1913,  was  elected  to  the  office  of  mayor  of  St.  Louis  for  a  four 
years'  term,  in  which  he  gave  to  the  city  such  an  efficient  and  progressive  administration 
that  he  was  reelected  in  April,  1917,  for  a  second  term.  His  ideals  in  matters  of  citizen- 
ship are  very  high.  He  says  that  it  is  no  longer  a  disgrace  to  be  spoken  of  as  a  politician, 
that  day  having  gone  by,  for  the  political  leader  of  today  is  looking  toward  progress 
and  not  toward  personal  aggrandizement.  His  ovi'n  political  career  has  meant  much  to 
the  community  and  has  resulted  in  many  measures  and  projects  most  beneficial  to 
the  city.  He  has  ever  advocated  the  study  of  platforms  and  the  support  of  candidates 
representing  the  best  interests  of  the  community.  As  the  chief  executive  of  St.  Louis 
he  is  studying  every  phase  of  the  city's  development  and  welfare — the  safeguarding  of 
the  young,  the  protection  of  individual  interests  against  crime,  the  care  of  those  whom 
an  untoward  fate  has  cast  upon  the  cold  mercy  of  the  world  and  all  those  constructive 
forces  which  receive  the  endorsement  of  the  leading  people  of  all  parties.  That  Mayor 
Kiel  is  a  most  broid-minded  man,  exemplifying  the  highest  type  of  American  patriotism, 
is  indicated  in  the  fact  that,  while  a  republican,  some  of  his  strongest  admirers  are 
found  among  the  supporters  of  the  democratic  party.  The  results  of  his  administration 
are  most  tangible  and  like  Roosevelt,  whom  many  regard  as  the  foremost  American  of 
his  generation.  Henry  W.  Kiel,  while  holding  to  high  ideals,  has  utilized  the  most 
practical   methods  in  their  accomplishment. 


FRANK    A.    RUP. 


Frank  A.  Ruf  was  born  in  Albany,  New  York,  April  4,  1856,  a  son  of  John 
J.  and  Catherine  P.  Ruf,  both  now  deceased.  His  parents  moved  to  Iowa  when  he 
was  a  small  child.  He  attended  the  public  schools  in  Des  Moines  to  the  age  of 
thirteen,  and  then  left  home  and  started  out  to  provide  a  livelihood  for  himself, 
resorting  to  the  various  kinds  of  work  that  a  boy  can  do.  After  trying  his  luck 
in  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  Omaha,  Nebraska,  and  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  he  finally 
in   1874,  found   himself  located  in   St.   Louis. 

Fifteen  years  of  active  effort  with  M.  W.  Alexander,  the  then  leading  St. 
Louis  druggist,  coupled  with  economy,  at  length  brought  him  one-half  interest  in 
the  firm  of  Frost  &  Ruf,  a  drug  business  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Seventh  and 
Olive  streets.  He  continued  in  the  business  as  a  member  of  this  firm  until  1888, 
when  they  entered  upon  the  manufacture  of  one  of  the  widest  known  medicines  in 
the  world — .\ntikamnia  (Opposed  to  Pain)  which  was  put  upon  the  market 
as  a  headache  and  neuralgia  remedy.  On  the  incorporation  of. the  business,  the 
capital  stock  was  five  thousand  dollars.  With  the  growth  of  the  business,  which 
was  rapid,  it  was  found  necessary  to  interest  new  capital,  which  was  done,  and 
the  company  was  reorganized  and  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Missouri  with 
a  capital  of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Since  its  organization,  Mr.  Ruf  hag 
been  president  and  treasurer  of  the  company.  Improved  methods  of  exploitation 
and  advertising  were  adopted  and  in  consequence  of  the  growth  of  the  business 
it  was  found  necessary  to  have  larger  quarters,  this  leading  to  the  opening  of 
the  new  laboratory  and  offices  of  the  Antikamnia  Remedy  Company  at  Nos.  717 
to  725  Locust  street,  part  of  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Mercantile  Trust  Com- 
pany. Here  again  the  space  proved  inadequate  and  the  company,  in  1896,  erected 
a  building  for  its  own  use  at  Nos.  1723  to  1731  Olive  street.  After  eight  years 
the  volume  of  trade  necessitated  another  removal  and  since  1902  the  company 
has  occupied  its  present  building  at  Nos.  1622  to  1624  Pine  street,  used  exclusively 
by  this  still  growing  American  industry.  There  has  been  no  change  in  the  per- 
sonnel of  the  company  since  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Frost,  whose  interests  were 
taken  over  by  Mr.  Rut,  the  president  and  treasurer  of  the  company.  In  the  space 
of  thirty  years  this  business  has  developed  from  a  small  one  to  the  largest  of 
the  kind  in  the  world,  with  offices  and  laboratories  in  London,  Paris  and  Madrid 
and  distributing  depots  in  all  of  the  larger  cities  on  tlie  face  of  the  globe. 

Lowell  has  said,  "An  institution  is  but  the  lengthened  shadow  of  a  man," 
and    as    such    the    corporation    is    the    indication    of    the    great    business    stature    of 


FRANK  A.  RUF 


r^l  «tw  T9W 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  129 

Frank  A.  Ruf.  Aside  from  his  connection  with  the  Anti-Kamnia  Remedy  Com- 
pany, he  is  also  a  director  and  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Mer- 
cantile Trust  Company  of  St.  Louis,  with  a  capital  and  surplus  of  ten  million 
dollars,  the  president  of  the  C.  E.  Gallagher  Medicine  Company,  and  president 
of  the  Herriott  Polish  Company.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Cinderella  Heel  Cor- 
poration, a  half-million  dollar  Arm,  manufacturers  of  aluminum  heels  for  ladies' 
shoes,  said  to  be  the  most  desirable  patent  metal  heel  on  the  market.  As  president 
of  the  Actoid  Remedy  Company,  he  looks  after  the  interests  of  this  well-known 
remedy.  "Actoids  Act  Actively,"  according  to  Mr.  Ruf,  is  the  slogan  which  has 
caused  this  preparation  to  become  world  wide  in  its  use.  He  is  vice  president  o£ 
the  Bowen  Motor  Railways  Corporation,  which  is  building  gasoline  motor  cars  to 
run  on  railway  tracks.  A  thorough  trial  of  this  car  has  demonstrated  its  practic- 
ability beyond  a  doubt.  Mr.  Ruf  is  also  vice  president  of  the  Watters  Corporation, 
capitalized  for  three  million  dollars,  manufacturing  the  Indexograph  and  other 
Watters  office  devices.  The  new  plant  of  this  corporation  in  the  new  industrial 
district  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  city  is  most  modern  in  all  of  its  details. 
Mr.  Ruf  was  married  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  in  1897,  to  Miss  Alpha  Haight, 
daughter  of  William  Haight,  of  Middlebury,  Vermont.  In  politics  he  is  a  repub- 
lican with  independent  tendencies.  He  is'a  Mason  of  high  rank,  belonging  to 
Cornerstone  Lodge,  No.  324,  A.  F. '  &  Af: /M.;'  St.  Louis  Chapter,  No.  8,  R.  A. 
M.;  St.  Aldemar  Commandery,  K.  T.;  St.  Louis 'Consistory,  A.  A.  S.  R.;  and  Moolah 
Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  belongs  moreover  to  the  .St.  Louis,  Racquet, 
Noonday,  Century  Boat,  Automobile,  and  Riverview  Clubs,  the  Missouri  Athletic 
Association,  the  St.  Louis  Art  League,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Zoological 
Society,  the  Apollo  Club,  the  St.  Louis  Symphony  Society,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
advisory  board  of  the  St.  Louis  School  of  Fine  Arts. 

Love  of  art  is  manifest  in  the  beautiful  canvases  and  fine  Persian  rugs  which 
adorn  Mr.  Ruf's  home.  He  was  decorated  by  the  shah  of  Persia  with  the  Order 
of  the  Lion  and  the  Sun  because  of  his  fame  as  a  connoisseur  of  Oriental  fabrics, 
especially  Persian  rugs.  The  decoration  ceremonial  took  place  in  the  anterooms 
of  Mr.  Ruf's  office,  the  walls,  floors,  divans  and  balustrades  of  which  were  dec- 
orated for  the  occasion  with  Persian  rugs  and  fabrics  of  exquisite  design  and  color, 
many  of  which  are  centuries  old  and  represent  the  investment  of  a  fortune.  His 
love  of  these  -rugs  comes  not  alone  from  his  appreciation  of  color,  design  and  tex- 
ture but  also  from  his  knowledge  of  the  art  of  rug  making  and  of  the  history,  tradi- 
tions, superstitions  and  beliefs  which  are  woven  into  these  rugs.  From  their  work- 
manship he  reads  many  a  life  story  and,  moreover,  is  willing  to  share  his  joy 
therein  with  many  admiring  visitors  at  his  home  and  office.  Business  affairs  and 
love  of  travel  take  him  frequently  abroad  and  he  is  a  familiar  figure  in  the  art 
centers  of  Europe  and  the  orient. 

Throughout  his  business  career  Mr.  Ruf  has  displayed  the  keenest  sagacity, 
combined  with  splendid  powers  of  organization  and  the  ability  to  at  all  times  dif- 
ferentiate between  the  essential  and  the  non-essential.  The  Bulletin  of  Commerce 
has  said  of  him:  "He  is  seemingly  retiring  in  his  disposition,  not  given  to  argu- 
ment or  controversy,  and  yet  when  touched  upon  matters  of  business  or  a  subject 
engaging  his  interest,  he  is  prompt  in  the  expression  of  his  opinions.  The  busi- 
ness side  of  his  character  is  strict  and  decisive,  displaying  an  energy  that  per- 
meates every  detail,  and  yet  his  management  is  highly  diplomatic,  governing  with- 
out a  seeming  effort  and  engaging  an  interest  without  appearing  to  urge  it.  His 
decision,  however,  is  emphatic  and  conclusive  within  himself.  He  strikes  only 
while  the  iron  is  hot  and  ductile — never  when  the  metal  is  cold  and  hard.  Hence 
he  can  fashion  it  to  his  purpose  without  struggling  against  impractical  conditions. 
No  misleading  feature  or  breath  of  deception  is  tolerated  in  any  of  his  transactions, 
having  the  wisdom  to  know  and  the  experience  to  demonstrate  that  integrity  is 
the  only  ladder  to  climb  if  you  expect  to  reach  the  top.  Such  men  are  not  plenti- 
ful. They  may  be  strong  in  a  few  points  and  sadly  out  of  balance  in  many.  It  is 
the  mentally  even,  well  rounded  up  man.  who  never  flies  oft  at  a  tangent  like  a 
dirigible  air  ship,  that  courts  and  wins  success.  A  combination  of  qualities  evenly 
adjusted   are  better   and  stronger  than   a  genius   with   a   single   purpose." 

He  has  been  characterized  as  a  "man  of  the  people,  filled  to  the  brim  with 
energy,  living  for  a  purpose  and  never  losing  sight  of  that  fact;  prompt  and  decisive 
in  business,   less  of  a  talker  than  an  energetic  worker  and  a  distinct  organizer  of 

Vol.  Ill— 9 


130  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

success.  He  is  a  man  of  faultless  integrity  to  himself  and  others,  one  who  believes 
in  the  principles  of  justice  and  is  no  friend  to  deception,  and  double  dealing.  He 
is  a  promoter  of  good  fellowship  and  high-class  citizenship.  His  principles  and 
convictions  of  right  are  his  party  and  his  religion.  He  is  patriotic  because  he  loves 
his  country  and  obeys  its  laws.  He  is  one  who  never  withholds  a  right  nor  imposes 
a  wrong.  He  is,  therefore,  a  good  neighbor,  encouraging  by  helpful  example  and 
otherwise  those  in  misfortune  or  distress.  Upon  matters  of  public  concern  and 
business  affairs  his  judgment  is  frequently  consulted  as  an  authority  because  of 
his,  standing,  wide  experience  and  confidence  he  enjoys  among  the  people.  It  is 
a  worthy  and  deserving  record  to  make  of  such  men,  for  they  should  be  remem- 
bered hereafter  and   their  good   deeds  not  allowed   to   perish   from   the   earth." 


THOMAS  T.   FAUNTLEROY. 

The  friends,  who  know  that  Thomas  T.  Fauntleroy  was  born  (February  22,  1862) 
in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  say  of  him  that  "He  lives  to  build,  not  boast  a  generous 
race."  But  regardless  of  his  habits  of  reserve  in  discussing  the  traditions  which 
belong  to  this  origin,  no  one  who  shares  or  knows  the  tradition  of  the  Virginia  Valley 
is  likely  to  fail  to  be  stirred  by  memories  of  what  it  means  to  have  been  born  in 
"the  Valley," — in  Winchester, — and  in  1862, — as  one  of  the  "Faunt,  Le,  Roys,"  who 
shares  as  pioneers  in  the  work  of  the  "founders"  of  the  America  of  the  present, 
making  "the  Valley"  what  it  is  in  its  visible  reality  today,  and  in  the  far  greater 
invisible  reality  of  its  part  in  the  building  of  every  great  commonwealth  west  of  the 
Blue  Ridge. 

To  those  who  know  this  history,  "the  Valley"  means  the  "Shenandoah  Valley 
of  Virginia."  There  is  only  one,  now,  as  in  American  history,  there  was  only  one, 
when  after  Braddock's  defeat.  Captain  Charles  Lewis  marched  from  Alexandria  to 
Winchester  with  his  Virginia  volunteers  to  stop  the  work  of  the  scalping  knife  in 
the  "Back  Country"  and  keep  the  Valley  road  open  for  the  progress  of  the  future. 
The  "Valley  road"  from  Lancaster  in  Pennsylvania  then,  soon  became  the  bridle 
path  beyond  Winchester,  and  then  "a  trail,"  known  only  to  the  fur-trader  and  the 
Indian  hunting  party  or  war-party.  But  then,  as  in  1862,  the  future  of  the  country 
depended  on  keeping  the  Valley  road  open. 

In  1862,  and  the  years  immediately  before  and  after,  as  this  was  being  attempted 
by  General  Shields,  Tremont,  Banks  and  Milroy.  with  Sheridan  at  times  in  the  back- 
ground or  foreground  as  his  work  required,  "Stonewall"  Jackson  had  much  to  do 
with  the  making  of  history  which  makes  birth  at  that  time  in  Winchester  mem- 
orable. 

When  this  history  belongs  to  biography  in  any  given  case,  as  it  does  in  the 
present,  it  illustrates  the  educational  conditions  of  life  which  help  to  make  char- 
acter. In  what  some  call  "the  environment"  of  the  Valley  between  1862  and  the 
"revival  of  prosperity,"  what  some  call  "military  necessity"  had  done  its  best  for 
character-building  by  removing  the  temptations  of  superfluous  luxury.  It  was  said 
in  explaining  military  necessity  in  the  Valley  about  1862-65,  that  "a  crow  flying 
over  it,  would  have  to  carry  his  rations." 

If  such  conditions  promote  the  "survival  of  the  fittest,"  the  pioneer  families  of 
the  Valley  had  grown  accustomed  to  survival  since  Braddock's  promise  of  help 
failed  them.  The  late  Judge  Thomas  Turner  Fauntleroy,  who  died  in  St.  Louis, 
October  2,  1906.  was  then  the  head  of  one  of  these  families  in  Winchester,  where 
he  was  born,  and  where  he  lived  all  his  life,  until  his  removal  to  St.  Louis.  He  was 
several  times  a  member  of  the  Virginia  legislature,  and  for  four  years  (1878-1882) 
he  served  as  secretary  of  the  commonwealth.  From  January  1,  1883,  to  1896,  he 
sat  on  the  Virginia  supreme  bench,  serving  a  full  term  of  twelve  years,  by  election 
of  the  Virginia  legislature. 

As  a  lawyer  by  profession  he  was  exceptional  among  kindred  of  his  name,  most 
of  them  seeking  service  in  the  army  or  the  navy,  where  their  names  appear  with 
credit  to  themselves  and  the  country.  Colonel  Thomas  Turner  Fauntleroy,  Judge 
Fauntleroy's  father  (and  grandfather  of  Thomas  T.  Fauntleroy.  of  St.  Louis)  served 
long  in  the  United  States  Army.  He  commanded  the  Fourth  Dragoons  in  the  early 
'50s.  When  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  was  a  pioneer  outpost,  he  commanded  it,  with 
responsibilities  which  may  be  guessed  from  photographs  taken  much  later,  showing 


THOMAS  T.  FAUNTLEROY 


rai  KIW  Toiu;.- 
I'PBUC  LIBRARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  133 

on  the  Kansas  prairie  such  work  of  the  scalping  knife  as  was  seen  on  the  road  north- 
west from  Winchester  to  Pittsburgh  after  Braddock's  defeat.  In  the  history  of  the 
west,  he  is  noted  as  the  founder  of  Fort  Riley,  but  he  had  been  in  command  of 
various  posts  before,  as  he  was  afterwards.  These  included  Jefferson  Barracks, 
St.  Louis,  Port  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  Fort  Jesup,  Louisiana,  and  San  Antonio,  Texas. 
At  that  point,  his  professional  service  connects  political  history  with  his  family 
history  in  1862,  for  it  is  easy  to  make  the  historical  connection  between  "the  Alamo" 
at  San  Antonio,  and  the  great  plaza  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  into  which  he  rode  with 
General  Scott  on  the  triumphal  entry  which  fulfilled  the  promise  of  the  political 
eloquence  of  the  time,  and  located  the  "Conquering  Saxon"  in  the  "Halls  of  the 
Montezumas."  He  had  commanded  one  of  the  divisions  of  General  Scott's  expedition- 
ary forces.  After  the  return  from  Mexico,  he  commanded  at  Santa  Fe.  It  is  not  re- 
corded that  he  specialized  in  political  history  from  any  philosophical  standpoint.  With 
or  without  analysis  of  the  connection  of  events  with  the  Mexican  war  apparent  the 
Civil  war  "broke  out"  for  him  as  it  did  for  others,  most  of  them  not  then  devoted 
to  military  duties  as  he  was  in  1861.  His  then  was  the  painful  choice  of  other  Vir- 
ginians in  the  "Old  Army,"  and  like  Lee,  he  "went  with  his  state."  Resigning  from 
the  United  States  army,  he  joined  the  army  of  the  Confederate  States  and  was  in 
command  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  during  the  war. 

When  the  war  closed,  the  famous  schools  of  Virginia,  which  had  been  closed 
by  its  beginning,  or  soon  afterwards,  when  the  war  in  Virginia,  "robbing  the  cradle 
and  the  grave,"  took  their  students  for  the  ranks,  began  to  re-open,  with  the  best 
men  of  the  State  in  charge  of  them.  This  often  meant  former  Confederate  leaders, 
and  usually  they  had  enrolled  as  students,  veterans  of  many  battles,  surviving  as 
boys,  still  nearly  enough  "beardless"  to  go  back  to  school  among  boys  too  young 
to  have  been  accepted  for  the  ranks.  One  of  these  famous  schools  was  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley  Academy  in  Winchester,  where  in  the  years  following  the  close  of  the 
Civil  war  many  men  were  educated,  who  became  noted  in  Virginia  and  other  states 
of  the  south.  At  this  school,  and  among  such  associates,  Thomas  T.  Fauntleroy  began 
the  studies  which  prepared  him  for  the  University  of  Virginia, — "Jefferson's  School," 
as  many  Virginians  have  always  loved  to  think  of  it.  It  may  be  noted  here,  as 
well  as  it  might  be  elsewhere,  that  since  leaving  the  university,  Thomas  T.  Faunt- 
leroy, a  Virginian  then,  "of  the  Valley,"  has  always  been  a  republican,  everything  in 
the  Valley  tradition  and  the  family  tradition  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  And 
it  has  been  often  said  and  never  disproved,  "everything  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing," that  as  Jefferson  called  himself  a  "republican"  when  the  university  was 
founded,  the  party  which  later  adopted  his  name,  did  so  in  its  beginnings  that  it 
might  invite  all  his  admirers  to  "live  up  to"  his  principles, — an  opportunity,  which 
is  never  likely  to  be  completely  closed  in  any  party. 

Studying  law  at  the  University  of  Virginia  for  two  years  (1881-2,  1882-3), 
the  young  Virginian  of  the  Valley  followed  its  tradition  northwest  over  the  Brad- 
dock  road  from  Winchester  instead  of  the  Valley  road,  west,  by  south.  Both  roads 
met  in  St.  Louis  under  Jefferson's  administration,  as  they  do  still,  but  it  was  over, 
the  Braddock  road  that  beginnings  had  been  made  for  "putting  Missouri  on  the 
map,"  with  Minnesota  and  the  northwest  to  be  mapped  later.  Although  Minnesota 
had  been  long  mapped  when  Thomas  T.  Fauntleroy  located  in  St.  Paul  in  1883,  the 
city  then  had  only  thirty-six  thousand  people  to  enrich  with  their  law  practice  the 
young  attorney  their  reputation  for  progress  and  prosperity  had  attracted.  But  as 
then  still  "fresh  in  the  twenties,"  he  grew  in  law  and  the  good  qualities  which  insure 
success  in  it,  he  saw  the  city  grow  to  its  present  dimensions, — already  provided  for 
the  occupation  of  a  million  in  1896,  when  his  wife's  health  demanded  a  milder  cli- 
mate than  the  winter-climate  of  the  northwest.  He  removed  then  to  St.  Louis  as  his 
permanent  home,  among  many  kindred,  including  the  family  of  the  late  Major  Henry 
Turner,  whose  origins  represent  "the  Valley." 

From  October,  1883,  to  July,  1896,  his  growing  law  practice  in  Minnesota 
brought  him  into  increasing  contact  with  men  now  famous  in  the  history  of  that 
state  and  of  the  country.  His  practice  had  extended  beyond  the  state  to  the  north- 
west generally.  It  included  the  most  important  insurance  cases  tried  in  the  North- 
west, and  in  defending  them,  he  left  his  record  at  the  bar  from  Milwaukee  on  the 
east  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  Helena,  Montana.  In  the  early  '80s,  there  were 
strong  men  in  the  northwest,  found  at  the  bar,  as  in  other  callings,  where  the 
demands  of  the  future  then  were  met  by  strength  in  the  "action,  action,  action," 
which  accounts  for  all  that  is  otherwise  unaccountable  in  the  best  of  the  present. 


134    _  CEXTEXXIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

In  Minnesota,  as  in  such  other  states  as  North  and  South  Dakota  and  Montana, 
Mr.  Fauntleroy's  beginnings  gave  him  a  wonderful  acquaintance  to  which  he  ma.v 
look  back  with  pleasure,  as  he  might  with  pride.  He  knew  and  tried  cases  with 
the  Spooners.  the  lawyers  of  the  Vilas  family,  the  Flandraus.  the  GilfiUans,  the 
Ramseys.  with  Senator  Cushman  K.  Davis  and  others,  whom  it  was  an  education 
to  know,  as  in  the  history  of  the  bar.  it  is  an  honor  to  have  appeared  with  them 
in  such  cases  as  those  in  which  in  Minnesota  and  other  northwestern  "reports,"  Mr. 
Fauntleroy  is  recorded  on  one  side  or  the  other. 

In  St.  Louis,  where  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Abbott,  Fauntleroy.  Cullen  & 
Edwards,  he  is  known  'professionally  to  all  who  know  the  leaders  of  the  bar,  Mr. 
Fauntleroy  has  devoted  himself  to  the  worlt  of  his  profession,  with  the  success' he 
might  have  won  in  public  life  had  he  entered  it.  But  thus  far  he  has  not  done 
so.  His  appointment  as  master  in  chancery  in  the  "Frisco  receivership"  was  pro- 
fessional rather  than  political,  and  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  he  was  entering  public 
life  when  he  began  service  on  the  board  of  visitors  of  the  Universitv  of  Missouri 
by  appointment  of  Governor  Herbert  S.  Hadley.  So  it  may  be  said  of  him.  as  in 
the  nineteenth  century  it  was  said  of  the  wisest  among  the  famous  public  men  with 
whom  professionally  he  has  been  associated,  that  he  has  "never  put  his  political  future 
behind  him." 

An  association  may  do  more  than  any  other  single  factor  to  decide  life,  the 
"new  method"  in  the  study  of  history  and  biography,  begins  with  the  "group."  and 
by  those  who  distrust  "heredity."  so  called,  group-history  is  studied  with  the  most 
careful  attention.  As  American  history  is  studied  thus  from  its  eighteenth  century 
groups  in  the  Virginia  valley,  its  interest  grows  with  every  generation,  as  associa- 
tions thus  explained,  extend  from  state  to  state,  in  the  "great  dispersion"  which 
has  been  going  on  ever  since  the  first  group  of  French  Huguenots,  including  the 
Fauntleroys.  settled  in  colonial  Virginia.  In  the  Revolutionary  period,  this  group 
included  in  its  family  connection.  Charles  Mynn  Thruston.  who  was  on  Washington's 
staff  in  war,  as  in  peace,  he  was  Episcopal  bishop  of  Virginia.  As  he  leaves  Thomas 
T.  Fauntleroy  of  St.  Louis  among  his  great-grandsons,  one  of  his  sons.  Judge  Charles 
Thruston,  was  the  first  United  States  judge  for  the  District  of  Columbia.  Mr.  Faunt- 
leroy's uncle.  General  Joseph  K.  Barnes,  who  had  been  an  intimate  friend  of  General 
Grant,  inherited  from  his  father  this  association,  not  only  with  Grant  but  with  his 
group  in  "the  Old  Army,"  as  the  regular  army  before  the  Civil  war  is  called  by  those 
who  inherit  its  tradition.  We  might  be  carried  far  afield,  following  such  historical 
connections,  as  in  this  connection  of  group  association,  they  account  for  General 
Joseph  K.  Barnes  as  "the  surgeon  in  charge  at  Lincoln's  bedside,  from  the  time  he 
was  shot  until  he  died."  and  afterward  as  a  surgeon  at  Garfield's  bedside,  "after  he 
was  shot,  until  he  died." 

This  may  suggest  how  much  of  the  reality  of  romance  in  American  life  a  bio- 
graphical sketch  necessarily  suppresses.  American  life  in  the  making,  as  Thomas 
T.  Fauntleroy  has  helped  to  make  its  history  in  the  generation  since  the  Civil  war, 
is  often  likely  to  test  belief  by  any  connected  grouping  of  what,  detached,  may  have 
appeared  its  commonplaces.  And  as  the  study  of  three  generations,  through  their 
associations,  develops  wider  and  wider  circles  of  interest,  those  who  are  not  pre- 
pared for  the  actual  reality,  may  turn  from  It  as  they  do  from  romance.  But  in 
connection  with  all  that  is  necessarily  left  unsaid  here,  those  who  are  prepared  for 
the  revelation  of  the  most  unexpected  meanings  in  what  they  know  already,  may 
find  no  better  place  for  beginning  their  study  of  American  life  than  the  Virginia  val- 
ley, between  1750  and  1862,  when  Thomas  T.  Fauntleroy,  now  of  St.  Louis,  first 
appeared  in  Winchester. — in  plain  sight,  if  not  of  Washington's  French  and  Indian 
war  headquarters,  still  of  the  historical  connection  back  to  1'750  for  everything 
before  and  since  "Sheridan's  ride." 


WILLIAM  S.  SCOTT. 


For  a  third  of  a  century  William  S.  Scott  has  been  identified  with  the  coal  trade 
and  is  now  president  of  the  Missouri  &  Illinois  Coal  Company,  a  corporation  operating 
extensively  and  successfully.  He  was  born  at  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  December  13, 
1862,  on  the  day  of  the  great  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  and  buildings  all  around  the  Scott 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  135 

home  were  that  day  struck  and  torn  by  shells.  His  parents  were  Hugh  and  Ann  (Clark- 
son)  Scott.  His  grandfather  in  the  paternal  line  came  from  Scotland  when  fifteen 
years  of  age  and  took  up  his  abode  at  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  where  he  became 
prominent  'in  business  circles  as  a  merchant  and  in  the  public  life  of  the  community  as 
mayor  of  the  city.  His  son,  Hugh  Scott,  also  followed  merchandising  in  Fredericksburg, 
where  he  conducted  a  general  store,  his  death  occurring  when  his  son  William  was  a 
lad  of  thirteen  years. 

The  latter  pursued  his  education  in  a  private  school  of  Fredericksburg  to  the  age 
of  twelve  years  and  then  entered  the  military  academy.  He  was  but  fourteen  years  of 
age  when  he  began  providing  for  his  own  support  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  merchandise 
store,  being  thus  employed  tor  several  years.  He  later  became  teller  in  a  bank  at 
Fredericksburg  and  in  18S2  he  was  made  cashier  of  the  Union  Depot  Elevator  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri.  Subsequently  he  was  elected  to  the  position  of  secretary  of  the  Caron- 
delet  Milling  Company,  with  which  he  remained  until  the  business  was  sold.  He  then 
became  secretary  of  the  gas  company  at  that  place  and  in  1887  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  coal  trade,  in  which  he  has  since  continued.  Making  steady  progress  along  that 
line,  he  has  achieved  notable  success  and  is  now  the  president  of  the  Missouri  &  Illinois 
Coal  Company,  whose  extensive  operations  have  placed  him  with  the  men  of  affluence 
In  St.  Louis. 

In  this  city,  in  1897,  William  S.  Scott  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Lytton,  a 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  J.  P.  and  L.  A.  Lytton,  the  former  active  In  missionary  work.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Scott  have  become  parents  of  three  children,  Marjorie,  Clarkson  and  Lytton, 
aged  respectively  twenty-one,  eighteen  and  sixteen  years.  The  religious  faith  of  the 
family  is  that  of  the  Eipiscopal  church  and  in  his  political  views  Mr.  Scott  is  a  democrat, 
his  interest  in  political  questions  being  that  of  the  representative  business  man  who  is 
ever  concerned  in  all  problems  that  affect  the  welfare  of  community,  commonwealth 
or  country.  Mr.  Scott  is  a  well  known  figure  in  club  circles  in  St.  Louis,  having  mem- 
bership in  the  City,  St.  Louis  and  Sunset  Clubs  and  in  the  Missouri  Athletic  Association. 


MORTON  J.  MAY. 


Morton  J.  May  Is  the  president  of  the  May  Department  Stores  Company  at  St.  Louis 
and  has  a  remarkable  grasp  of  every  phase  of  the  business  which  he  conducts.  The 
processes  and  methods  which  he  follows  in  carrying  out  this  rapidly  developing  enter- 
prise, measure  up  to  the  commercial  standards  and  ethics  of  highest  character,  and  he 
has  made  his  establishment  one  of  the  attractive  department  stores  of  the  city. 

Morton  J.  May  was  born  July  13,  1881,  his  parents  being  David  and  Rosa  (Shoen- 
berg)  May.  The  father  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  came  to  the  democracy 
in  1864,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  settling  in  Union  City,  Indiana,  where  he  obtained 
employment  in  the  general  store,  which  however  handled  principally  dry  goods.  In  1878 
he  went  to  Leadville,  Colorado,  and  with  a  partner  established  a  dry  goods  and  general 
merchandise  business  on  his  own  account.  In  1889  he  removed  to  Denver,  Colorado, 
where  he  opened  a  general  store  which  was  the  original  establishment  of  the  May 
company.  In  1897  he  organized  the  May  Department  Store  Company  with  stores  in  St. 
Louis,  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  Denver,  Colorado.  In  the  first  named  city  they  acquired 
the  Famous,  which  in  1911  was  consolidated  with  the  Barr  Store  and  is  now  conducted 
under  the  name  of  the  Famous  Barr  Store,  but  is  owned  and  operated  by  the  May 
Department  Stores  Company.  In  1912  they  also  purchased  the  business  of  the  M.  O'Neil 
Company  of  Akron,  Ohio,  so  that  the  May  Department  Stores  Company  now  owns  and 
operates  fine  establishments  in  St.  Louis,  Cleveland,  Denver  and  Akron.  The  company 
was  capitalized  with  fifteen  million  dollars  of  common  stock,  and  eight  million  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  of  preferred  stock,  and  of  the  latter  one  million  and 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  has  been  retired.  The  headquarters  of  the 
company  are  at  St.  Louis  and  they  also  maintain  large  offices  in  New  York  City,  where 
much  of  the  buying  is  done.  They  do  a  business  of  over  fifty-five  million  dollars  annually 
and  their  stock  is  listed  on  the  stock  exchange.  Each  store  is  owned  and  maintained  as 
an  independent  business  and  has  been  made  one  of  the  most  popular  commercial  centers 
of  the  city  in  which  it  is  located.  David  May  still  remains  an  active  factor  in  the 
business  and  is  now  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  company,  while  Col. 
Moses  Shoenberg,  brother-in-law  of  David  May,  is  vice  president  of  the  company.  Three 
of  the  sons  of  David  May  have  become  interested  in  this  business,  these  being  Morton 


136  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  AIISSOURI 

J.  of  this  review;  Thomas  May,  who  is  one  of  the  vice  presidents  of  this  company  and 
who  is  very  active  in  the  control  and  development  of  the  business;  and  Wilbur,  who 
as  yet  has  not  taken  on  any  responsibilities  in  the  company.  In  the  family  there  is 
also  another  member,  a  sister  Florence,  who  is  home  with  her  parents. 

Morton  J.  May  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Denver  and  the  Smith  Academy 
at  St.  Louis,  after  which  he  entered  the  University  of  Colorado,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1901.  Since  completing  his  college  course  he  has  concentrated  his  efforts 
and  attentions  upon  the  business  in  which  he  is  now  engaged.  Characteristic  thorough- 
ness has  enabled  him  readily  to  master  every  detail  and  he  has  a  remarkable  gi'asp  of 
every  phase  of  the  business  in  which  he  has  been  notably  successful,  this  being  attribut- 
able to  his  executive  ahility,  his  persistent  hard  work  and  a  fine  sense  of  fairness  combined 
with  a  broad  policy. 

In  St.  Louis  in  1909.  Mr.  May  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Florence  Goldman 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  Sarah  Jane  and  Morton  B.  The 
parents  are  members  of  the  Temple  of  Israel  and  Mr.  May  belongs  to  the  Alpha  Tau 
Omega  college  fraternity.  He  is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing  and  also  plays  golf.  He  is 
likewise  well  known  in  several  of  the  leading  clubs  of  St.  Louis,  including  the  Columbian, 
the  Westwood  Country,  and  the  City  Club,  also  the  Missouri  Athletic  Association.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  is  keenly  interested  in  the  efforts  of  the 
organization  to  advance  the  business  development  of  the  city,  to  extend  its  trade  rela- 
tions and  to  maintain  all  those  interests  which  are  a  matter  of  civic  virtue  and  civic 
pride. 


JUDGE    WARWICK    HOUGH. 

High  on  the  keystone  of  the  legal  arch  of  Missouri  is  written  the  name  of  Judge 
Warwick  Hough.  Untarnished  is  his  record  as  lawyer  and  jurist,  for  at  all  times 
he  held  to  the  highest  ethical  standards  of  the  legal  profession,  and  his  splendid  men- 
tality enabled  him  to  become  a  most  accurate  interpreter  of  the  law.  His  course  is 
one  which  reflects  honor  and  credit  upon  the  state  in  which  he  so  long  made  his  home, 
for  he  was  but  two  years  of  age  when  brought  to  Missouri  by  his  parents,  continuing 
a  resident  of  the  state  practically  throughout  the  entire  time  until  death  Called  him 
October  28,  1915.  The  last  three  decades  of  his  life  or  more  were  passed  in  St. 
Louis.  He  was  born  in  Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  January  26,  1836,  a  son  of  George 
W.  and  Mary  C.  (Shawen)  Hough  and  a  descendant  of  John  Hough,  who  removed 
from  Bucks  county  Pennsylvania,  to  Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  about  1750  and  there 
wedded  Sarah  Janney,  whose  people  had  also  come  from  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania, 
John  Hough  was  a  grandson  of  Richard  Hough,  who  came  from  Cheshire,  England, 
on  the  ship  Endeavor  as  one  of  a  colony  directed  by  William  Penn,  reaching  Philadel- 
phia in  1683,  and  of  whom  Penn  wrote:  "I  lament  the  loss  of  honest  Richard  Hough. 
Such  men  must  needs  be  wanted  where  selfishness  and  forgetfulness  of  God's  mercies 
so  much  abound." 

The  parents  of  Judge  Hough  were  natives  of  Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  the 
father  born  April  17,  1808,  and  the  mother  on  the  25th  of  December,  1814.  They 
were  married  there  in  1833.  Five  years  later  they  came  to  Missouri  and  George 
W.  Hough,  who  had  previously  been  a  merchant,  brought  with  him  a  stock  of  goods 
which  he  sold  in  St.  Louis.  He  then  removed  to  Jefferson  City,  where  he  continued 
to  engage  in  merchandising  until  his  retirement  from  business  in  1854.  "Prior  to 
this,"  wrote  a  biographer,  "he  had  been  prominent  and  influential  in  Missouri  politics 
and  had  served  with  distinction  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature.  In  1854 
he  was  the  candidate  of  the  democratic  party  for  congress  and  engaged  actively  in 
the  political  controversies  of  the  day,  which  were  then  of  a  very  fervid  character 
and  plainly  foreshadowed  the  great  contest  of  1860  to  1865.  In  conjunction  with 
Judge  William  B.  Napton  and  Judge  William  Scott,  then  on  the  supreme  bench  of 
Missouri,  and  Judge  Carty  Wells,  of  Marion  county,  Mr.  Hough  participated  in 
framing  the  famous  'Jackson  resolutions,'  introduced  by  Claiborne  F.  Jackson,  after- 
ward governor,  in  the  Missouri  legislature  in  1849,  which  resolutions  occasioned 
the  celebrated  appeal  of  Colonel  Thomas  H.  Benton  from  the  instructions  of  the 
legislature   to   the   people   of    Missouri.     These   resolutions    looked    forward    to    a    con- 


JUDGE  WARWICK  HOUGH 


TH!  NEW  TvRK 
POBl.lC  LIBRARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  139 

flict  between  the  northern  and  southern  states  and  pledged  Missouri  to  a  cooperation 
with  her  sister  states  of  the  south.  The  leading  democrats  o£  Missouri  were  then 
known  as  Calhoun  democrats,  chief  among  them  being  David  R.  Atchison,  William 
B.  Napton.  James  S.  Green,  Carty  Wells  and  Claiborne  F.  Jackson,  and  the  bitter 
personal  hostility  existing  between  Calhoun  and  Benton  was  much  intensified  by 
these  resolutions,  the  authorship  of  which  Colonel  Benton  attributed  to  Calhoun. 
The  resull  of  the  canvass  was  Colonel  Benton's  retirement  from  the  United  States 
senate.  Soon  after  making  his  unsuccessful  canvass  for  congress  in  1854,  Mr.  Hough 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Sterling  Price  a  member  of  the  board  of  public  works 
of  Missouri,  which  was  then  charged  with  the  supervision  of  all  the  railroads  in  the 
state  to  which  state  aid  had  been  granted.  For  several  years  he  devoted  his  entire 
time  to  the  public  interests  in  this  connection  and  rendered  valuable  service  in  con- 
serving the  interests  of  the  state  in  these  various  railroad  enterprises.  He  was  fre- 
quently tendered  positions  in  the  government  service,  which  would  have  necessitated 
his  removal  to  the  national  capital,  but  declined  to  accept  such  appointments.  He 
was  for  a  time  curator  of  the  Missouri  University  and  in  conjunction  with  Mr. 
Eliot,  of  St.  Louis,  did  mueh  to  benefit  that  institution.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Historical  Society  of  Missouri  and  a  public  man  who  contributed  largely  to 
the  formulation  of  legislation  essential  to  the  development  of  the  resources  of  the 
state.  He  had  a  knowledge  of  the  political  history  of  the  country  unsurpassed  by 
that  of  anyone  in  the  state  and  a  superior  knowledge  also  of  general  history,  con- 
stitutional law  and  literature.  He  died  at  Jefferson  City,  February  13,  1878,  respected 
and  mourned  not  only  by  the  community  in  which  he  lived'  but  by  the  people  of  the 
entire  state.  His  wife,  Mary  C.  Hough,  daughter  of  CorneKus  and  Mary  C.  (Maine) 
Shawen.  was  the  first  person  to  receive  the  rite  of  confirmation  in  the  Episcopal 
church  at  Jefferson  City.  She  was  a  woman  of  gi-eat  refinement,  of  rare  amiability 
and  sweetness  of  temper,  devoted  to  her  husband^  home  and  children,  and  at  her 
death,  which  occurred  at  Jefferson  City,  January  17,  1876,  it  was  said  of  her:  'The 
works  of  this  quiet.  Christian  woman  do  follow  her.  They  are  seen  in  the  character 
of  the  children  she  raised  and  trained  for  usefulness,  in  the  number  of  young  persons 
whom  she  influenced  by  her  precept  and  example  to  a  higher  life  and  nobler  aim,  and 
in  the  grateful  remembrance  of  the  many  who  have  been  the  recipients  of  her  kind 
attentions  and  unostentatious  charities.'  " 

Reared  in  Jefferson  City,  Warwick  Hough  attended  private  schools  wherein  he 
prepared  for  college.  It  was  said  of  him:  "He  was  a  precocious  student,  and  at  six- 
teen years  of  age,  when  the  principal  of  the  school  he  was  attending  was  compelled 
by  illness  to  abandon  his  place,  he  assumed  charge  of  the  school  at  the  request  of  its 
patrons,  and  conducted  it  to  the  end  of  the  term,  teaching  his  former  schoolmates 
and  classmates  and  hearing  recitations  in  Latin  and  Greek  as  well  as  in  other 
branches  of  study.  At  fifteen  years  of  age  he  acted  as  librarian  of  the  state  library 
while  the  legislature  was  in  session.  Entering  the  State  University  of  Missouri,  he 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  the  class  of  1854,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Arts,  and  three  years  later  received  his  Master's  degree  from  the  same  institution. 
As  a  collegian  he  was  especially  noted  for  his  fondness  for  the  classics  and  for  the 
sciences  of  geology  and  astronomy.  He  could  repeat  from  memory  page  after  page 
of  Virgil,  and  nearly  all  the  Odes  of  Horace.  In  his  senior  year  he  invented  a  figure 
illustrating  the  gradual  acceleration  of  the  stars,  which  was  used  for  years  after  he 
left  college  by  his  preceptor,  whose  delight  it  was  to  give  him  credit  for  the  inven- 
tion. His  superior  scientific  attainments  caused  him  to  be  selected  from  the  graduat- 
ing class  of  the  university  in  1854  to  make  some  barometrical  observations  and  cal- 
culations for  Professor  Swallow,  then  at  the  head  of  the  geological  survey  of  Mis- 
souri. Later  he  Was  appointed  by  Governor  Price  assistant  state  geologist,  and 
the  results  of  his  labors  in  this  field  were  reported  by  B.  F.  Shumard  and  A.  B. 
Meek  in   the   published   geological  reports  of   Missouri. 

Before  he  had  attained  his  majority  he  was  chief  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  secre- 
tary of  state,  and  he  was  secretary  of  the  state  senate  during  the  sessions  of  1858-9, 
1855T0"and  1860-1.  Meantime  he  had  studied  law  and  in  1859  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  In  1860  he  formed  a  law  partnership  with  J.  Proctor  Knott,  then  attorney-gen- 
eral of  Missouri,  which  continued  until  January  of  1861,  when  he  was  appointed  adju- 
tant-general of  Missouri  by  Governor  Claiborne  F.  Jackson.  As  adjutant-general  he 
issued,  on  the  22d  of  April,  1861,  the  general  order  under  which  the  military  organi- 
zations   of    the    state    went    into    encampment    on    the    3rd    of    May    following.     It    was 


140  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

this  order  which  brought  together  the  state  troops  at  Camp  Jackson,  St.  Louis,  the 
capture  of  which  precipitated  the  armed  conflict  between  the  federal  authorities 
and  southern  sympathizers  in  Missouri.  Prior  to  his  appointment  as  adjutant- 
general.  Judge  Hough  had  had  military  experience  as  an  officer  in  the  Governor's 
Guards  of  Missouri,  in  which  he  had  been  commissioned  first  lieutenant,  January 
17,  1860.  He  commanded  the  Governor's  Guards  in  the  southwest  expedition  in  the 
tall  and  winter  of  1860,  under  General  D.  M.  Frost.  His  appointment  as  adjutant- 
general  gave  him  the  rank  of  brigadier-general  of  state  troops,  and  his  occupancy 
of  that  position  continued  until  after  the  death  of  Governor  Jackson,  when  he  was 
appointed  secretary  of  state  by  Governor  Thomas  C.  Reynolds.  He  resigned  the  office 
of  secretary  of  state  in  1863  to  enter  the  Confederate  military  service,  and  January 
9,  1864,  he  was  commissioned  a  captain  in  the  inspector-general's  department  and 
assigned  to  duty  by  James  A.  Seddon,  Confederate  secretary  of  war,  on  the  staff 
of  Lieutenant-General  Leonidas  M.  Polk.  After  the  death  of  General  Polk  he  was 
first  assigned  to  duty  on  the  staff  of  General  S.  D.  Lee,  and  afterward  served  on  the 
staff  of  Lieutenant-General  Dick  Taylor,  commanding  the  Department  of  Alabama, 
Mississippi,  East  Louisiana  and  West  Florida,  with  whom  he  surrendered  to  General 
E.  R.  S.  Canby,  receiving  his  parole  May  10,  1865.  The  proscriptive  provisions  of  the 
Drake  constitution  prevented  him  from  returning  at  once  to  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Missouri,  and  until  1867  he  practiced  law  at  Memphis,  Tennessee.  After 
the  abolition  of  the  test  oath  for  attorneys  he  returned  to  Missouri  and  established 
himself  in  practice  at  Kansas  City,  entering  at  once  upon  a  brilliant  and  distinguished 
career  as  a  lawyer.  He  soon  became  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  western 
bar  and  in  1874  was  elected  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  Missouri.  During  his 
ten  years  of  service  on  the  supreme  bench  in  the  course  of  which  he  served  for  two 
years  as  chief  justice  of  that  distinguished  tribunal,  he  was  conspicuous  for  his 
learning,  his  scholarly  attainments  and  uncompromising  independence.  His  style 
was  sententious  and  preeminently  judicial;  and  his  opinions,  which  are  noted  for  their 
perspicuity,  are  perhaps  the   most  polished   rendered  by  any   judge   who  has   occupied 

a  place   on   the   supreme  bench   of  Missouri    in   recent   years His   independence 

in  refusing  to  lend  his  judicial  sanction  to  the  spirit  of  repudiation  of  municipal 
obligations,  with  which  many  of  the  counties  of  Missouri  had  unwisely  burdened 
themselves,  was  the  most  potent  factor  in  preventing  his  renomination,  and  in  depriv- 
ing the  state  of  the  more  extended  services  of  one  of  its  ablest  and  most  accomplished 
jurists.  What  was,  however,  a  loss  to  the  state  was  a  gain  to  Judge  Hough,  for 
immediately  after  his  retirement  from  the  bench  he  removed  to  St.  Louis,  and  since 
1884  has  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  in  this  city,  where  he  has  been 
identified  with  much  of  the  most  important  litigation  occupying  the  attention  of  the 
state  and  federal  courts." 

Following  his  death,  in  a  memorial  prepared  by  the  supreme  court  of  Missouri, 
It  was  said  concerning  his  judicial  record :  "The  opinions  of  Judge  Hough  are  found 
in  twenty-six  volumes  of  the  supreme  court,  58  to  83,  inclusive.  They  rank  high  in 
judicial  learning,  in  clearness  and  scholarly  finish,  and,  as  a  rule,  had  the  supreme 
merit  of  brevity.  It  would  extend  too  much  the  limits  of  this  memorial  to  view  In 
detail  these  four  hundred  or  more  opinions  contributed  by  Judge  Hough  during  his 
term  of  office.  The  judicial  independence  of  Judge  Hough  and  his  firm  stand  in 
upholding  the  integrity  of  public  obligations,  were  shown  in  his  concurring  with 
Judge  Napton  in  dissenting  from  the  judgment  in  Webb  v.  Lafayette  County,  67  Mo. 
353.  which  declared  invalid  the  bonds  issued  in  aid  of  railroads  under  the  Township 
Aid  Act  of  1868;  also  in  his  separate  concurring  opinion  in  State  ex  rel.  Woodson 
V.  Brassfield,  67  Mo.  331;  and  also  in  State  ex  rel.  Wilson  v.  Rainey,  74  Mo.  29,  in 
concurring  in  the  opinion  of  the  court  delivered  by  Judge  Norton,  upholding  the 
validity  of  the  tax  levied  under  a  mandamus  from  the  federal  court  for  the  payment 
of  a  judgment  on  county  bonds  which  had  been  adjudged  valid  by  the  federal  court 
but  had  been  held  invalid  by  the  state  courts.  These  cases  and  opinions  recall  the 
conflict,  happily  ended  many  years  since,  between  the  state  and  federal  courts  in 
Missouri.  His  opinions  In  the  Sharp  and  Johnston  cases,  59  Mo.  557,  76  Mo.  660, 
are  leading  cases  on  the  law  of  malicious  prosecution;  and  the  law  of  disputed 
boundary  established  by  long  acquiescence,  is  lucidly  declared  in  Turner  v.  Baker, 
64  Mo.  218.  The  statute  of  limitation  and  the  proof  of  ancient  deeds,  where  title 
is  based  upon  Spanish  land  titles,  was  set  forth  in  an  exhaustive  and  scholarly 
opinion  in  Smith  v.  Madison,  67  Mo.  694.  Jurists  have  differed  on  the  subject  of  dis- 
senting opinions.     Some  think  that  the   custom   is   more  honored   In   the   breach   than 


CEXTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  141 

in  the  observance;  but  it  is  true  that  dissenting  opinions  are  at  times  a  necessary 
feature  in  the  development  o£  the  law  through  judicial  precedent,  which  is  the  essen- 
tial basis  o£  our  jurisprudence.  The  dissenting  opinions  of  Judge  Hough  are  not 
numerous;  in  fact,  they  are  comparatively  few;  but  it  is  interesting  to  recall  that  in 
several  important  cases  these  dissenting  opinions  have  been  declared  to  be  the  law, 
even  after  his  retirement  from  the  bench.  Thus,  in  Valle  v.  Obenhause,  62  Mo.  81, 
it  was  held  by  a  majority  of  the  court  that  where  a  husband  during  coverture  is  a 
tenant  by  the  courtesy  initiate,  the  statute  of  limitation  begins  to  run.  against  the 
wife  from  the  disseizin;  and  her  right  of  acion  is  therefore  barred  if  she  fails  to  sue 
within  twenty-four  years  after  the  disseizin.  Judge  Hough,  in  his  dissenting  opinion, 
contended  that  the  statute  of  limitation  did  not  begin  to  run  against  a  married 
woman  on  account  of  disseizin  of  her  fee  simple  lands  until  the  determination 
of  the  tenancy  of  her  husband  by  the  courtesy  initiate.  Just  before  his  retirement 
from  the  bench  in  18S4,  in  the  case  of  Campbell  v.  Laclede  Gas  Light  Company, 
84  Mo.  352,  three  of  the  five  judges  concurred  in  declaring  that  his  dissenting  opinion 
in  Valle  v.  Obenhause  stated  the  correct  view  of  the  law;  and  after  Judge  Hough's 
retirement  from  the  bench  in  1886,  in  Dyer  v.  Witler,  89  Mo.  81,  the  case  of  Valle  v. 
Obenhause  was  definitely  overruled,  and  the  view  expressed  by  Judge  Hough  in  his 
dissenting  opinion  was  adopted  as  the  law  of  the  court.  In  Xoell  v.  Gaines,  68  Mo. 
649,  Judge  Hough  dissented  in  a  learned  opinion  from  the  ruling  of  the  court  that 
where  a  deed  of  trust  provided  that  the  two  promissory  notes  secured  thereby  should 
both  become  due  on  the  failure  to  pay  one,  the  demand  and  notice  to  an  endorser, 
at  the  final  maturity  of  the  second  note,  came  too  late,  as  such  demand  should  have 
been  made  immediately  upon  the  declaration  that  the  notes  were  due  for  foreclosure. 
Judge  Hough  insisted  that  the  rule  in  relation  to  reading  several  co-temporaneous 
instruments  together  was  not  applicable  to  mortgages  and  notes  secured  thereby; 
and  this  view  was  adopted  by  the  court  several  years  after  he  left  the  bench  in 
Owens  V.  McKenzie,  133  Mo.  323,  so  that  in  this  case  his  dissenting  opiniooi  again 
became  the  law  of  the  state.  In  one  of  the  last  cases  during  his  term,  Abbott  v. 
Kansas  City,  St.  Joseph  &  Council  Bluffs  R.  Co.,  83  Mo.  71,  Judge  Hough  had  the 
satisfaction  of  noting  in  his  concurring  opinion  that  the  rule  declared  by  him  in 
his  dissenting  opinion  in  Shane  v.  K.  C.  St.  J.  &  C.  B.  Ry.  Co.,  71  Mo.  237,  that  the 
rule  of  the  common  law,  and  not  the  civil  law,  as  to  surface  water  should  prevail  in 
the   state,  had   been   adopted   by   the   court  and   declared   the   law   of   the   state." 

In  1861  Judge  Hough  was  married  to  Miss  Nina  E.  Massey,  daughter  of  Hon. 
Benjamin  F.  and  Maria  (Withers)  Massey,  the  former  then  secretary  of  state  of 
Missouri.  The  mother  was  born  in  Fauquier  county,  Virginia,  and  was  a  great 
granddaughter  of  Letitia  Lee,  daughter  of  Philip  Lee,  who  was  a  grandson  at 
Richard  Lee,  founder  of  the  family  in  Virginia,  where  he  settled  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  I  of  England.  Judge  and  Mrs.  Hough  became  parents  of  two  sons  and  three 
daughters.  Warwick  Massey,  the  eldest,  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Louis 
was  graduated  from  the  Missouri  Medical  College  of  St.  Louis  in  1891  and  is  now 
an  eminent  physician  and  surgeon.  In  the  later  years  of  his  professional  career 
Judge  Hough  had  as  his  associate  his  son  and  namesake,  the  firm  ranking  with  the 
foremost  at  the  Missouri  bar.  In  1883  the  University  of  Missouri  conferred  upon 
Judge  Hough  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  He  ever  gave  his  political  allegiance 
unfalteringly  to  the  democratic  party  and  fraternally  he  was  well  known  in  Masonic 
circles,  having  taken  the  consistory  degrees  of  the  Scottish  Rite.  No  more  fitting 
tribute'  to  the  memory  of  this  eminent  jurist  could  be  paid  than  that  of  the  State 
Bar  Association,  which  closed  with  the  words:  "Memoralizing  this  distinguished 
public  career  of  Judge  Hough,  we  can  only  briefly  allude  to  the  exceptionally  inter- 
esting personality  of  the  man.  His  dignified,  courtesy  and  native  independence  of 
character,  with  his  wide  range  of  reading  and  the  unusual  combination  of  literary 
and  scientific  taste,  gave  him  a  rare  personal  charm;  and  his  interesting  and  varied 
experience  in  life,  and  broad  human  sympathetic  philosophy  of  life  made  him  always 
welcome  in  cultured  and  refined  circles,  and  endeared  him  to  those  who  were 
privileged  to  enjoy  an  intimate  association.  Judge  Hough  was  fortunate  in  preserv- 
ing to  the  last  the  appreciative  enjoyment  of  those  literary  and  cultured  tastes  which 
had  distinguished  him  through  life.  He  was  still  more  fortunate  in  having  to  the 
end  of  life  the  ministrations  of  the  wife  of  his  youth  and  of  his  children,  and  'all 
that  should  accompany  old  age,— lo-ve,  honor,  obedience,  and  troops  of  friends.' 
As  to  the  closing  scene  of  the  drama  of  this  eventful  life,  we  quote  the  eloquent 
words  of  Judge  Hough   in  presenting  in  the  United   States   court,  a  few  years   since, 


142  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OE  MISSOURI 

a  memorial  on  a  deceased  brother  of  the  bar:  'He  has  entered  upon  the  impenetrable 
mystery  of  the  great  Unknown,  athwart  whose  vast  expanse  the  feeble  taper  of  earthly 
wisdom  sheds  no  light,  and  in  whope  depths  the  plummet  of  the  profoundest  philosophy 
finds  no  resting-place,  and  in  the  contemplation  of  which,  the  anxious  soul  finds  no 
consolation,  or  relief,  save  in  the  Rainbow  of  Hope,  cast  upon  the  sky  of  the  future, 
by   the    Sun    of   Righteousness,    shining    through   our    tears.' " 


AVARWICK  MASSEY  HOUGH. 

Warwick  Massey  Hough,  whose  connection  with  some  of  the  most  important  cases 
tried  in  America  has  brought  him  national  reputation  as  a  lawyer,  his  position  being 
that  of  one  of  the  most  eminent  and  honored  members  of  the  St.  Louis  bar.  was  born 
in  Columbus,  Mississippi,  September  29,  1862,  his  parents  being  Judge  Warwick  and 
Nina  Elizabeth  (Massey)  Hough.  The  father,  who  was  a  distinguished  jurist,  passed 
away   October  28,  1915.  and   is  mentioned   at   length   on   another  page   of   this   work. 

After  pursuing  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  War- 
wick M.  Hough  continued  his  studies  in  the  St.  Louis  University  and  in  Central 
College  at  Fayette,  Missouri,  where  he  completed  his  academic  course  in  1883.  At- 
tracted to  the  profession  to  which  his  father  devoted  his  life,  the  son  began  his  law 
studies  under  his  father's  direction,  thus  continuing  his  reading  from  1883  until 
1886  and  also  gaining  legal  experience  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  the  supreme  court 
of  Missouri,  where  he  assisted  in  preparing  opinions  of  the  court  for  the  official 
reporter.  On  the  1st  of  February,  1886,  he  won  admission  to  the  bar,  being  licensed 
to  practice  before  the  circuit  court,  and  he  at  once  entered  upon  professional  work  in 
St.  Louis.  His  biographers,  writing  of  him  about  eight  years  ago,  said:  "During 
the  latter  part  of  President  Cleveland's  first  administration  he  was  assistant  United 
States  district  attorney  for  the  eastern  division  of  the  eastern  district  of  Missouri, 
Hon.  Thomas  P.  Bashaw  being  at  that  time  the  district  attorney.  While  serving 
in  this  capacity  he  was  called  upon  to  make  a  close  study  of  the  internal  revenue  laws 
of  the  United  States  and  as  a  result  he  has  since,  while  engaged  in  general  practice, 
given  special  attention  to  litigation  of  all  kinds  growing  out  of  the  enforcement  of 
the  revenue  laws  and  has  achieved  marked  distinction  in  this  line  of  professional 
work.  Among  his  distinguishing  characteristics  as  a  practitioner  have  been  absolute 
fearlessness  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  to  his  clients,  painstaking  effort  in  the  prep- 
aration of  his  cases  and  prompt  and  vigorous  action  in  cases  requiring  such  action. 
As  a  trial  lawyer  he  is  conspicuous  for  the  force,  directness  and  clearness  of  his 
statements  to  both  courts  and  juries,  and  for  his  courteous  demeanor  under  all  cir- 
cumstances. Especially  happy  in  presenting  the  strong  points  of  his  own  case  and 
in  exposing  the  weakness  of  an  adversary's  cause,  he  has  shown  himself  the  well 
rounded  and  well  equipped  lawyer  in  a  practice  which  covers  a  wide  and  varied  field." 
During  the  past  seven  years,  however,  Mr.  Hough  has  confined  his  attention  exclu- 
sively to  corporation,  internal  revenue  and  pure  food  laws  and  during  President  Taft's 
administration  he  was  chief  counselor  in  what  was  known  as  the  Whiak  case,  which 
was  one  of  national  importance,  in  which  Mr.  Hough  was  associated  with  Mr.  Choate, 
Senator  Armstrong.  Mr.  Lucking  and  Lawrence  Maxwell,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Mr. 
Hough  also  tried  the  largest  libel  case  ever  heard  in  the  United  States,  brought 
against  the  American  Medical  Association.  Four  months  were  consumed  in  the 
trial  of  this  case  and  the  court  costs  and  expenses  incurred  amounted  to  over  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  In  both  of  these  cases,  which  were  of  national 
interest,  he  was  successful  and  thus  heightened  his  fame  as  one  of  the  leading  la'Ht- 
yers   of   the   country. 

On  the  22d  of  October,  1890,  Mr.  Hough  was  married  at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Gage,  formerly  of  St.  Louis,  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  S.  Gage 
and  granddaughter  of  Frances  Dana  Gage,  of  Ohio,  who  in  her  day  was  a  well  known 
and  popular  writer.  Through  her  Mrs.  Hough  is  also  descended  from  Captain  Wil- 
liam Dana,  who  commanded  a  company  of  artillery  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  and 
whose  wife  was  Mary  Bancroft.  Mrs.  Hough  is  prominent  in  the  social  circles  of 
St.  Louis,  where  she  has  many  friends. 

Politically  Mr.  HOugh  is  a  democrat,  but  has  taken  comparatively  little  part  in 
active   political  work,  although   in'l896   he  entered   the   presidential   campaign   as   the 


WARWICK  M.  HOUGH 


PUBLIC  LI -IWARY 


A»«-n,  uaKCi  **"'•, 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  145 

champion  ot  bimetallism,  free  trade  and  the  reserved  rights  of  the  states  in  opposi- 
tion to  centralization  of  power.  During  the  period  of  the  World  war  he  was  a  member 
ot  the  legal  advisory  board  and  active  in  support  of  all  war  movements.  FYaternally 
he  is  connected  with  Occidental  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  is  never  found  wanting 
when  men  are  needed  to  champion  a  principle  or  to  uphold  national  interests.  Nothing 
that  concerns  the  welfare  of  his  fellowmen  is  foreign  to  him  and  the  nature  of  his 
interests  is  indicated  in  his  membership  in  the  Citizens'  Industrial  Association,  the 
Civic  League,  the  Business  Men's  League  of  St.  Louis,  in  the  Law  Library  Association 
and  the  St.  Louis  Bar  Association,  in  the  American  Bar  Association  and  in  the 
American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social  Science.  That  the  social  element  in  his 
nature  has  not  been  neglected  is  also  evidenced  in  the  fact  that  he  has  membership 
in  the  Missouri  Athletic  Association,  in  the  Racquet,  Noonday,  St.  Louis,  Country 
and  Bellerive  Clubs  ot  St.  Louis  and  in  Chevy  Chase  of  Washington,  D.  C.  He  enjoys 
the  outdoor  sports  offered  in  hunting,  fishing,  motoring  and  golf  and  by  reason  of  his 
literary  tastes  many  of  his  happiest  hours  are  spent  in  his  library  in  association  with 
the  men  of  master  minds  of  all  ages. 


JUDGE  WILLIAJl  H.  BROWNLEE.^ 

Among  the  distinguished  names  that  appear  upon  the  pages  of  Missouri's  legal 
history  is  that  of  Judge  William  H.  Brownlee,  for  many  years  an  honored  member  of 
the  Linn  county  bar.  For  four  decades  he  resided  in  Brookfield  and  throughout  that 
period  bore  an  unsullied  reputation  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  banker.  He  was  born  in 
Indiana  and  early  determining  upon  the  practice, of  law  as  a  life  work,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Princeton,  Indiana,  following  his  graduation  from  the  law  department 
of  the  university  at  Bloomington  about  1855.  He  opened  an  office  in  Princeton,  where 
he  practiced  his  profession  for  a  brief  period  and  then  started  westward.  When  at 
Champaign,  Illinois,  he  conferred  with  Abraham  Lincoln  about  the  choice  of  a  location. 
In  his  travels  he  was  accompanied  by  George  W.  Thompson  and  together  they  made 
their  way  to  Brunswick,  Chariton  county,  from  which  point  Judge  Brownlee  journeyed 
on  foot  to  Milan,  Sullivan  county,  Missouri.  This  was  in  the  year  1857.  He  there 
located  a  land  grant  ot  the  Mexican  war  which  had  been  given  to  his  father,  John 
Brownlee,  in  recognition  of  his  services  in  an  Indiana  regiment  during  the  war  with 
Mexico.     He  had  also  served  in  the  War  of  1812  and  passed  away  in  Indiana  in  1855. 

It  was  two  years  later  that  Judge  Brownlee  located  his  land  grant,  after  which 
he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  at  Linneus,  Missouri,  in  partnership  with  George 
W.  Thompson,  with  whom  he  was  thus  associated  until  1868.  He  then  removed  to 
Brookfleld,  where  his  remaining  days  were  passed,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  had 
gained  a  large  and  distinctively  representative  clientage,  which  came  to  him  in  recog- 
nition of  his  skill  and  ability  in  handling  intricate  and  involved  legal  problems.  He 
never  sought  to  influence  the  opinon  in  a  case  through  oratory  but  presented  his  cause 
in  a  most  clear  and  cogent  way,  displaying  accurate  and  profound  knowledge  of  the  law 
and  excellent  judgment.  He  was  also  a  most  wise  counselor  and  was  often  called  upon 
to  act  as  a  special  judge  in  prominent  cases  and  his  opinions  were  seldom  reversed  by  a 
higher  court.  An  eminent  member  of  the  Linn  county  bar  said  of  Judge  Brownlee.  that 
"no  man  who  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Linn  county  had  a  more 
thorough  and  broader  knowledge  of  the  law,  from  its  basis  and  elementary  principles 
upward,  than  Judge  William  H.  Brownlee.  That  he  possessed  a  thorough  and  complete 
knowledge  of  the  law  was  fully  demonstrated  while  he  was  judge  of  the  Linn  county 
court  of  common  pleas,  as  no  decision  made  by  him  was  ever  reversed  by  the  supreme 
court." 

In  the  field  of  banking  Judge  Brownlee  also  became  a  well  known  figure.  He 
succeeded  to  an  interest  in  the  banking  firm  ot  T.  D.  Pi'ice  &  Company,  at  which  time 
the  firm  style  of  Price  &  Brownlee  was  assumed,  while  a  later  change  in  the  personnel  of 
the  firm  led  to  the  adoption  of  the  style  of  Price,  Brownlee  &  DeGraw.  He  also  became 
the  first  president  of  the  Linn  County  Bank,  so  continuing  until  1893,  when  he  organized 
the  Brownlee  Banking  Company.  In  the  care  of  moneyed  interests  he  balanced  his  pro- 
gressiveness  with  a  sate  conservatism  and  the  public  had  the  most  thorough  confidence 
in  him  and  his  ability  to  protect  their  interests. 

Judge  Brownlee  was  a  democrat  in  his  political  views  and  in  1860  was  elected  judge 
of  the  probate  court  of  Linn  county,  which  office  he  filled  until  1864.     In  1870  he  was 

Vol.  UI— 10 


146  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OE  MISSOURI 

chosen  by  popular  suffrage  to  the  office  of  judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  and  served 
upon  the  bench  with  credit  to  himself  and  benefit  to  the  county  for  a  period  of  four  years. 
He  then  declined  a  reelection  that  he  might  give  his  attention  to  the  private  practice  of 
law.  He  rounded  out  forty  years  of  an  active  professional  career  in  Linn  county  and 
when  death  called  him  the  news  was  received  with  a  sense  of  personal  bereavement  not 
only  by  the  people  of  his  city  but  throughout  the  state  as  well,  for  he  was  widely  known 
and  highly  respected.  Many  were  the  tributes  paid  to  his  ability  and  to  his  memory. 
A  resolution  of  the  Linn  County  Bar  Association  said:  "His  transcendent  ability  and. 
profound  knowledge  of  the  law,  his  wonderful  sagacity  and  intuitive  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  preeminently  fitted  him  for  the  most  exalted  station  in  private  or  public 
life,  while  his  uniform  kindness  of  heart  to  all,  and  especially  to  the  younger  and 
struggling  members  of  the  bar,  and  to  the  needy  and  oppressed  everywliere,  made 
him  dear  to  the  hearts  of  all  who  knew  him."  A  beautiful  tribute  was  paid  to 
his  memory  by  the  Brookfield  Argus,  as  follows:  "Those  who  were  familiar  with 
the  life  and  character  of  William  H.  Brownlee,  who  have  known  him  as  husband,  father, 
neighbor,  counselor  and  friend,  attest  best  to  the  gentleness  of  his  being,  the  kindness 
of  his  heart.  For  years,  for  three  or  four  decades,  he  has  been  to  legions  in  this  com- 
munity adviser  and  benefactor.  It  was  a  part  of  his  life  to  be  doing  little  acts  of  kind- 
ness which  he  was  not  prone  to  herald.  A  thorough  optimist,  his  presence  was  a  sort 
of  benediction  to  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  Ever  of  an  even  temperament, 
he  was  never  disposed  to  retaliate  for  real  or  imaginary  ills.  The  democracy  of  heart 
of  Judge  Brownlee  was  as  broad  as  his  charity  for  the  unfortunate.  *  *  *  He  belonged 
to  no  fraternal  orders  save  that  of  homecraft,  to  no  club  save  that  where  wife  and 
children  dwell.  There  it  was  that  his  influence,  his  gentleness,  his  kind  indulgence, 
showed  forth  in  a  character  that  will  make  his  memory  cherished  by  those  who  knew 
him  best  and  loved  him  most." 

Judge  Brownlee  still  lives  in  the  memory  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  his  associates 
in  practice,  his  warm  friends  and  most  of  all  the  children  to  whom  he  was  a  devoted 
father. 


B.    HOWARD   SMITH. 


A  modern  philosopher  has  said:  "Opportunity  is  universal,  not  local;  sviccess 
depends  not  upon  a  map,  but  a  time-table."  It  was  a  recognition  of  this  tact 
that  has  led  to  the  successful  issue  of  the  business  interests  of  B.  Howard  Smith, 
who  is  now  president  of  the  Consumers  Bread  Company  of  Kansas  City.  From 
the  outset  of  his  career  he  has  made  the  best  possible  use  of  his  time  and  talents 
and  each  day  in  his  career  has  marked  off  a  full  taithed  attempt  to  grow  more 
»nd  to  know  more. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Scott  county,  Indiana,  February  5,  1848,  and  was  early 
left  an  orphan,  being  thus  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  His  father.  Rev.  H.  F. 
Smith,  was  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church  and  later  in  life  became  a  wholesale 
dry  goods  merchant.  Both  he  and  his  father  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  in  Indiana 
H.  F.  Smith  became  a  prominent  citizen,  serving  as  a  member  of  the  constitutional 
convention  when  the  organic  law  of  the  state  was  formed.  He  passed  away  in 
1861.  In  early  manhood  he  had  wedded  Lucy  Reeves  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  eleven  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

B.  Howard  Smith  was  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  when  in  1865  he  removed 
from  Indiana  to  Oliio,  settling  upon  a  farm  near  Cincinnati.  He  had  previously 
pursued  his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state  and  for  three  years  he 
devoted  his  attention  to  farm  work  in  Ohio.  In  187  0  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  Stille,  of  Cincinnati,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  childi'en: 
Mrs.  Lillian  Hartman,  living  in  Kansas  City;  Harry  E.,  who  is  now  superintendent 
of  the  Smith  Bakery,  owned  by  his  father;  Bryce  B.,  vice  president  of  the  Con- 
sumers Bread  Company  and  a  member  of  the  upper  house  of  the  city  council  of 
Kansas   City;    Earl   H.,    deceased;    and   Walter   L.,    deceased. 

After  devoting  three  years  to  farming  in  Ohio  Mr.  Smith  went  to  Indianapolis, 
Indiana,  where  he  began  driving  a  bread  wagon,  being  thus  engaged  from  1873 
until  1884.  In  the  meantime,  however,  through  energy  and  ability  he  had  steadily 
risen    in    business    circles    of    that    city    and    had    become    the    owner    of    a    bakery 


B.  HOWARD   SMITH 


T«l  n'f^  T31M 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  149 

in  Indianapolis.  He  purchased  the  property  for  five  hundred  dollars  and  began 
business  with  three  barrels  ot  flour  and  nineteen  dollars  in  cash.  He  continued 
in  the  business  for  four  years  in  Indianapolis,  after  which  he  came  to  Missouri, 
settling  first  at  Springfield,  where  he  established  a  cracker  factory,  which  he 
conducted  for  a  year  and  a  half.  His  plant  was  then  destroyed  by  fire,  causing  a 
total  loss.  In  1885  he  came  to  Kansas  City  and  was  not  only  without  capital 
but  was  in  debt.  However,  he  secured  a  small  bakery  and  carried  his  loaves  of 
bread  in  a  basket  to  his  customers.  His  determination  and  energy  brought  grati- 
fying results  and  he  continued  to  conduct  the  bakery  successfully  until  1909,  when 
he  organized  the  Consumers  Bread  Company,  the  consolidation  ot  several  bakeries, 
with  a  capital  of  one  million  dollars.  The  company  now  employs  one  hundred 
people  in  the  parent  plant  and  also  operates  three  other  bakeries,  giving  employ- 
ment to  the  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  people.  The  output  of  the  company  is 
a  million  three  hundred  thousand  loaves  of  bread  per  week.  Thus  through  individ- 
ual effort  Mr.  Smith  has  built  up  a  business  of  mammoth  proportions.  He  seems 
to  have  grasped  early  the  nature  of  his  life  task  and  decided  to  meet  the  prob- 
lems of  life  and  win.  He  considered  it  no  handicap  to  his  success  that  he  must 
win  honorably,  therefore  his  business  life  has  been  of  the  highest  type.  In  his 
chosen  line  he  has  been  a  progressive,  while  in  side  issues  he  is  very  cautious. 
His  vision  along  the  line  of  his  regular  business  has  been  of  the  best  and  he  has 
always  been  a  leader.  He  was  made  president  of  the  National  Association  of  Master 
Bakers  ot  the  United  States  in  1905,  his  election  to  that  position  indicating  his 
high  standing  among  his  business  associates,  colleagues  and  contemporaries.  He 
is  an  indefatigable  worker  who  keeps  in  close  toxich  with  every  detail  of  the  busi- 
ness while  giving  due  Importance  to  the  major  points  in  relation  to  the  trade. 
He  is  a  splendid  executive,  a  man  of  marked  administrative  power,  and  is  one  of 
the  leading  bakers  of  the  United  States.  Withal  he  is  an-  extremely  modest  man 
and  one  must  depend  upon  his  friends  for  a  characterization  of  his  life  rather 
than  upon  his  own  story. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  Mason,  .belonging  to  Southgate  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also 
to  Ararat  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  has  always  been  a  lover  of  fine  horses 
and  has  won  many  handsome  cups  and  trophies  in  the  races.  At  one  time  he 
owned  Nancy  Belle  with  a  record  of  2:15%  and  he  has  been  the  owner  of  various 
other  splendid  representatives  ot  racing  stock  but  has  no  fast  stock  at  the  present 
time.  He  belongs  to  the  Kansas  City  Club  and  also  to  the  Mid-Day  Club.  He  is 
much  interested  in  civic  affairs,  was  a  generous  supporter  of  the  Red  Cross  and  the 
Liberty  Loan  drives  during  the  war  and  is  a  man  of  many  philanthropies,  ot  which, 
however,  his  friends  know  little,  so  quietly  does  he  make  use  of  his  means  to 
reduce  want  and  suffering.  He  loves  the  best  things  of  life,  including  music  and 
literature,  and  the  results  he  has  attained  and  the  character  which  he  has  for- 
mulated indicate  that  he  has  made  wise  use  of  his  time,  talents  and  opportunities 
as  the  years  have  gone  by.  In  politics  Mr.  Smith  is  a  democrat  and  his  religious 
faith  is  that  of  the  Christian  church. 


W.  HARRY  MARE. 


W.  Harry  Mare,  who  Is  the  president  of  the  Audit  &  Bond  Company  of  St.  Louis,  has 
become  recognized  as  an  authority  in  his  profession  as  a  result  of  a  life  devoted  to  his 
work.  His  close  application  and  thorough  study,  his  enterprise  and  diligence  have 
steadily  advanced  him  along  his  chosen  line  of  activity,  and  today  he  controls  a  business 
of  extensive  proportions.  He  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  September  15,  1873,  a  son  of  William 
H.  and  Jemima  (Scott)  Mare.  The  father  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England,  where 
the  family  home  had  been  maintained  for  many  generations.  He  came  to  St.  Louis  in 
1860  and  here  established  a  dry  goods  business  which  he  conducted  for  a  long  period. 
He  yet  makes  his  home  in  this  city.  His  wife  came  of  ancient  and  honorable  lineage, 
her  father  having  been  an  officer  in  the  British  army  during  the  Crimean  war,  in  which 
he  laid  down  his  life  for  his  country.  Her  uncle,  R.  R.  Scott,  with  Dugald  Crawford, 
founded  the  order  of  the  Scottish  clans  in  1873,  at  St.  Louis,  and  the  members  are  now 
numbered  by  the  thousands  throughout  the  United   States. 

The  early  education  of  W.  Harry  Mare  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  St. 
Louis  and  he  passed  through  consecutive  grades  to  the  Central  high  school.     In  1892  he 


150  CEXTEKNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

turned  his  attention  to  the  accounting  business,  in  which  he  engaged  individually  until 
1904,  when  his  interests  were  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Audit  &  Bond  Com- 
pany of  America  of  which  he  is  now  the  president.  He  specializes  in  handling  municipal 
and  drainage  district  accounting  and  his  activities  in  this  direction  have  been  marked 
by  an  efficiency  which  has  insured  him  a  liberal  patronage. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1895,  Mr.  Mare  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  E.  Stobie,  a 
daughter  of  William  Stobie.  president  of  the  Stobie  Cereal  Mills  of  St.  Louis.  The  family 
came  from  Aberdeen,  Scotland,  where  for  generations  they  have  been  millers  of  the 
community.  Mrs.  Mare  is  a  cousin  of  William  Shipman,  the  widely  known  sugar 
producer  and  cattle  ranchman  of  Hilo,  Hawaii.  Two  children  have  been  born  unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mare:  William  Stobie,  the  elder,  born  in  1896,  is  now  treasurer  of  the 
Audit  &  Bond  Company.  He  served  for  eighteen  months  in  France  during  the  World 
war  as  a  member  of  Company  K,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-Eighth  United  States  Infantry, 
and  was  wounded  and  gassed  in  the  Argonne  Forest.  The  youngest  son,  Robert  Craigie, 
born  in  1901,  is  now  attending  Washington  University  and  is  following  in  the  footsteps 
of  his  father  by  taking  a  course  in  accounting.  He  was  named  in  honor  of  his  uncle 
David  Craigie,  who  was  a  brigadier  general  in  the  regular  United  States  army.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Mare  are  widely  known  in  St.  Louis,  where  the  hospitality  of  many  of  the  best 
homes  is  freely  accorded  them  and  where  they  have  a  circle  of  friends  almost  coextensive 
with  the  circle  of  their  acquaintances. 


COLONEL  J.  L.  ABERXATHY. 

Colonel  J.  L.  Al)ernathy,  who  in  the  furniture  trade  won  a  measure  of  success  that 
gained  him  rank  among  the  capitalists  of  Kansas  City,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
1870,  was  a  native  of  AVarren  county,  Ohio,  born  March  20,  1833.  His  parents  always 
resided  in  Ohio  and  in  Indiana,  the  father  following  farming  for  many  years  in  the 
latter  state.  The  son  was  a  student  in  the  public  schools  of  Knightstown,  Indiana, 
where  he  acquired  a  good  education  and  then  went  into  business  for  himself,  establishing 
a  dry  goods  store  in  Rushville,  Indiana,  where  he  conducted  his  enterprise  successfully 
until  1855.  Feeling  that  he  would  have  still  better  opportunities  in  the  new  but  rapidly 
growing  west,  he  removed  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  in  partnership  with  S.  D. 
Woods  he  established  a  furniture  store  which  he  conducted  until  after  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  war. 

In  1862  he  enlisted  in  a  thirty-day  company  and  afterward  became  captain  of  the 
Eighth  Kansas  Infantry,  raising  a  company  tor  service  with  that  regiment.  Still  later 
he  was  promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  regiment  and  continued  in  command  until  1863, 
when  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  he  was  taken  very  ill  and  because  of  the  condition 
of  his  health  resigned  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Leavenworth.  He  again  became  an 
active  factor  in  the  furniture  trade,  in  which  he  continued  until  about  1870,  when  he 
removed  to  Kansas  City.  His  early  identification  with  the  business  interests  of  this 
city  was  as  a  wholesale  furniture  dealer,  while  later  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Keith,  and  they  engaged  in  the  retail  furniture  business  for  a  short  time.  Mr.  Keith 
eventually  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  North,  who  was  associated  with  Colonel  Abernathy 
in  the  retail  furniture  business  for  a  few  years.  Later  Jlr.  Duff  and  Mr.  Repp  became 
interested  in  the  business  and  the  Duff  &  Repp  Furniture  Company  is  still  operating 
at  Nos.  1216-1222  Main  street.  Throughout  his  commercial  career  Colonel  Abernathy 
maintained  a  reputation  for  undoubted  integrity  and  for  energy  and  persererance  that 
constituted  the  basis  of  his  gratifying  prosperity. 

In  1858  occurred  the  marriage  of  J.  L.  Abernathy  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Martin,  of 
Leavenworth,  Kansas.  She  was  born  in  Butler  county.  Ohio,  not  far  from  the  birth- 
place of  her  husband,  her  parents  being  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Marshall)  Martin,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio  but  at  an  early  day  they  took  up  their  abode  in  the 
vicinity  of  Lafayette,  Indiana,  where  Mr.  Martin  engaged  in  the  saddlery  business 
throughout  his  remaining  days.  Both  he  and  his  wife  died  there.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Abernathy  were  born  six  children:  William  Martin,  who  died  leaving  a  widow  who 
resides  in  Kansas  City  and  who  in  her  maidenhood  was  Fannie  McClelland;  Walter  L., 
who  is  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  in  Kansas  City;  Frank,  who  died  in  early 
life;  Harry  T.,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume:  Omar,  engaged  in  the 
furniture  business  in  Leavenworth,  Kansas;  and  Cora,  the  wife  of  Dr.  A.  G.  Hull,  a 
prominent  physician  of  Kansas  City. 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  151 

Colonel  Abernathy  continued  in  the  furniture  business  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  the  16th  of  December,  1902.  Aside  from  his  interest  in  the  furniture  business  he 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Kansas  City  and  was  made 
one  of  its  stockholders  from  the  beginning.  He  also  had  financial  interests  in  other 
business  enterprises  of  Kansas  City  and  Leavenworth,  being  a  director  of  the  Leaven- 
worth National  Bank.  He  was  mayor  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  for  two  terms  and  also 
took  an  active  interest  in  politics  as  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  republican  party.  He 
belonged  to  the  Loyal  Legion  and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  maintained 
pleasant  relations  with  his  old  army  comrades  in  this  way.  He  always  took  great 
interest  in  church  work,  both  he  and  his  wife  being  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
while  Colonel  Abernathy  served  as  elder  in  the  Second  Presbyterian  church  of  this  city. 
In  Leavenworth  he  was  elder  in  the  First  Presbyterian  church  and  was  superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  School  in  both  places  for  twenty-three  years.  Since  the  demise  of  her 
husband,  Mrs.  Abernathy  has  become  a  member  of  the  Central  Presbyterian  church. 
She  makes  her  home  in  Leavenworth,  where  she  owns  valuable  property,  but  spends 
much  time  with  her  children  in  Kansas  City  and  is  now  with  her  son,  H.  T.  Abernathy, 
at  3600  Madison  avenue. 


DAVID  RANDOLPH  CALHOUN. 

The  career  of  David  Randolph  Calhoun  has  not  been  characterized  by  leaps  and 
bounds  toward  his  business  goal  but  by  steady  advancement,  making  each  day  mark 
off  a  full-faithed  attempt  to  know  more  and  to  grow  more.  Purposeful,  self-reliant, 
willing  to  learn,  ready  to  abide  by  the  rules  of  any  house  by  which  he  was  employed 
and  willing,  moreover,  to  do  a  little  more  than  was  expected  of  him,  he  had  no  difficulty 
in  winning  through  these  qualities  the  attention  of  his  employers  and  thus  gaining 
advancement.     The  story  of  his  life  contains  much  that  is  inspiring. 

Born  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  on  the  28th  day  of  February,  1858,  his  parents 
being  George  W.  and  Sarah  R.  (Giles)  Calhoun,  the  boy  mastered  the  elementary 
branches  of  learning  in  a  public  school  course  at  New  Market,  New  Jersey,  and  for 
further  study  attended  Smith  Academy  of  Dunellen,  New  Jersey.  He  made  his  initial 
step  in  the  business  world  as  an  employe  of  the  firm  of  Noyes,  White  &  Company,  com- 
mission merchants  in  notions,  remaining  with  that  house  from  1876  until  1878.  He  was 
working  twelve  hours  a  day  and  receiving  a  salary  of  two  dollars  per  week.  In  order 
to  supplement  this  he  obtained  a  place  as  relief  salesman  and  while  thus  working  he  had 
the  opportunity  to  sell  a  bill  of  goods  to  the  head  of  the  St.  Louis  house  of  Ely,  Jannis 
&  Company.  The  purchaser,  recognizing  the  splendid  salesmanship  qualities  of  the 
young  man,  offered  him  a  position  in  his  St.  Louis  establishment.  The  offer  was  at  once 
accepted  and  on  the  following  day,  with  his  new  employer,  he  was  en  route  to  the 
middle  west.  To  Mr.  Ely's  inquiry:  "Aren't  you  interested  in  what  I  am  to  pay  you?" 
Mr.  Calhoun  responded:  "Pay  me  what  you  think  I  am  worth."  He  was  placed  in 'the 
position  of  stock  clerk  and  order  filler  in  the  notion  department  of  the  new  St.  Louis 
house  at  a  salary  of  fifty  dollars  per  month.  That  was  the  starting  point  from  which 
he  continually  advanced,  winning  promotion  from  time  to  time  until  he  now  stands  at 
the  head  of  the  Ely-Walker  Dry  Goods  Company,  one  of  the  largest  firms  connected 
with  the  wholesale  trade  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  called  to  the  presidency  in  1903  and  has 
since  been  the  directing  head  of  this  concern.  A  contemporary  writer  has  said:  "The 
history  of  this  establishment  forms  an  integral  chapter  in  the  commercial  records  of 
St.  Louis.  Its  development  is  attributable  in  no  small  degree  to  the  efforts  of  Mr. 
Calhoun,  who  from  the  earliest  period  of  his  connection  therewith  has  largely  con- 
centrated his  energies  upon  its  expansion,  striving  toward  high  ideals  in  the  improve- 
ment of  the  personnel,  character  of  service  rendered  and  in  all  of  its  various  relations 
to  the  public."  Mr.  Calhoun  has  epigrammatically  expressed  his  rules  of  business  life — 
the  foundation  of  his  success—  as  "taking  a  keen  interest  in  his  work;  doing  a  little 
more  than  was  expected  of  him;  always  being  on  the  job." 

While  Mr.  Calhoun  has  been  most  closely  identified  with  the  middle  west  since  his 
removal  to  St.  Louis  in  1878,  he  returned  to  the  east  tor  his  bride  and  in  New  York  city, 
on  the  25th  of  November,  1891,  was  married  to  Miss  Marie  Gardner  Whitmore.  By  a 
previous  marriage  he  had  one  daughter,  Josephine  C,  now  the  wife  of  C.  Norman 
Jones,  while  the  son  of  the  present  marriage  is  David  R.  Calhoun,  Jr. 


152  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

When  opportunity  offers  Mr.  Calhoun  turns  to  golf  tor  recreation.  He  is  also 
appreciative  of  the  Social  amenities  of  life,  having  membership  in  the  Log  Cabin,  Noonday, 
Racquet,  Cuivre,  St.  Louis  and  St.  Louis  Country  Clubs.  Politically  he  has  never  been  a 
partisan  but  supports  those  interests  which  he  believes  are  for  the  benefit  of  the  com- 
munity at  large,  as  with  him  patriotism  transcends  partisanship.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Business  Men's  League  and  is  keenly  interested  in  all  that  has  to  do  with  the  com- 
mercial and  industrial  development  of  St.  Louis.  His  ideals  of  lite  are  high,  his  pur- 
poses strong  and  his  determination  unfaltering.  He  carved  out  the  path  which  led  to 
his  success  and  today  there  is  no  more  respected  factor  in  the  wholesale  trade  circles 
of  St.  Louis  than  David  R.  Calhoun. 


HARVEY  GILMER  MUDD,  M.  D. 

The  standards  of  medical  and  surgical  practice  are  being  constantly  advanced  and 
the  able  physician  must  ever  keep  abreast  with  the  latest  scientific  researches  and  dis- 
coveries if  his  efforts  reach  the  point  of  utmost  efficiency  in  his  chosen  calling.  Dr. 
Harvey  Gilmer  Mudd  is  one  who  has  ever  stood  in  the  vanguard  of  professional  progress 
and  public  opinion  accords  him  the  position  of  leadership  in  certain  branches  of  pro- 
fessional activity.  While  for  a  third  of  a  century  he  has  been  numbered  among  the 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  St.  Louis,  his  reputation  is  by  no  means  limited  by  the 
confines  of  the  city  or  even  of  the  state,  his  colleagues  and  contemporaries  through- 
out  America   bearing   testimony   to   his   professional   eminence. 

Dr.  Mudd  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  August  29,  1857,  his  parents  being  Henry 
Thomas  and  Sarah  Elizabeth  (Hodgen)  Mudd,  who  were  natives  of  Larue  county, 
Kentucky.  The  father,  who  was  tor  many  years  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business 
in  St.  Louis,  passed  away  in  1903.  The  ancestry  of  the  family  is  traced  back  to 
Poland,  from  which  country  representatives  of  the  name  were  forced  to  flee  on 
account  of  political  disturbances.  For  some  generations  the  family  was  represented 
in  Wales  and  the  original  American  ancestor  came  to  the  new  world  with  Lord  Balti- 
more. Maryland  continued  to  be  the  place  of  residence  for  the  family  for  a  number 
of  years,  after  which  a  removal  was  made  to  Kentucky  and  the  maternal  ancestors 
of  Dr.  Mudd  became  residents  of  that  state  on   removal   from  Virginia. 

In  his  early  boyhood  Harvey  Gilmer  Mudd  was  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools  of 
Kirkwood,  Missouri,  and  afterward  attended  the  St.  Louis  high  school,  being  numbered 
among  its  alumni  of  1876.  A  review  of  the  broad  field  of  business  determined  him 
to  enter  upon  a  professional  career  and  he  became  a  student  in  the  St.  Louis  Medical 
College,  a  department  of  Washington  University,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1881.  Four  years  were  then  devoted  to  private  practice,  after  which 
he  went  abroad  for  further  study,  acquainting  himself  with  the  methods  of  the 
leading  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Berlin,  Vienna,  Paris,  London  and  Edinburgh  between 
the  years  1885  and  1887.  He  has  ever  been  a  most  close  and  discriminating  student 
of  his  profession  and  his  private  researches  and  investigations  have  been  carried  far 
and  wide  into  the  realms  of  scientific  knowledge.  He  has  always  enjoyed  a  most 
extensive  private  practice  and  he  is  not  unknown  in  educational  circles,  being  clinical 
professor  of  surgery  in  the  medical  department  of  Washington  University.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  and  the  chief  of  the  medical  staff  of  St.  Luke's 
Hospital  and  is  consulting  surgeon  and  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Bar- 
nard Free  Skin  and  Cancer  Hospital.  His  knowledge  of  all  departments  of  the 
medical  science  is  comprehensive  and  e.xact  and  he  has  ever  kept  in  touch  with 
the  advanced  thought  and  high  purposes  of  the  profession  through  his  connection 
with  the  St.^Louis  Medical  Society,  the  St.  Louis  Surgical  Society,  the  City  Hospital 
Alumni  Medical  Society,  the  American  Medical  Association  and  the  American  Associa- 
tion of  Genito-Urinary  Surgeons,  the  last  named  organization  having  honored  him 
with  the  presidency.  He  is  vice  president  of  the  American  Surgical  Association  and 
belongs  to  the  International  Surgical  Association  and  to  the  International  Association 
of  Urology. 

On  the  20th  of  January,  1892,  in  St.  Louis,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Mudd  and  Miss  Margaret  de  la  Plaux  Clark,  and  they  have  one  son,  Stuart  Mudd, 
who  was  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of  Harvard  University  at  Cam- 
bridge  in   June,   1920.     While  a  student  there   he   won  the   Boylston   prize   of  Harvard 


DR.  HARVEY  G.  MUDD 


TH!  NiW  lORK 
l»tfiJlClfi!!RARY 


Aar^t^.  lw<wx  an* 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  155 

University,  given  each  year  for  the  most  meritorious  essay  submitted  on  medical 
research  work.  In  addition  to  the  honor  a  cash  prize  ot  two  hundred  dollars  was 
included.  This  was  the  first  time  that  such  an  award  was  made  to  an  undergraduate. 
The  essay  was  written  as  a  result  ot  experiments  conducted  by  young  Mudd  to 
determine  the  effects  of  cold  and  chills  on  colds,  sore  throat  and  their  accompanying 
ailments. 

The  military  service  of  Dr.  Mudd  covers  two  years  connection  as  major  and  sur- 
geon with  the  First  Regiment  of  the  Missouri  National  Guard  and  through  the  period 
of  the  World  war  he  was  a  major  of  the  Medical  Reserve  Corps  and  was  also  chairman 
of  the  Missouri  State  Commission  of  National  Defense  Medical  Section,  thus  doing 
much  to  mobilize  the  professional  force  of  the  state  for  the  interests  of  the  war.  His 
political  endorsement  has  always  been  given  to  the  republican  party  and  his  apprecia- 
tion of  the  social  amenities  of  life  is  indicated  in  his  membership  in  the  St.  Louis 
Club,  University  Club,  St.  Louis  Country  Club,  Glen  Echo  Club,  Florissant  Valley  Club 
and  Sunset  Hill  Club  and  the  Army  and  Navy  Club  of  Washington,  D.  C.  He  turns 
to  golf  and  shooting  for  recreation  but  has  comparatively  little  leisure  time  owing  to 
the  extensive  demands  made  upon  him  for  professional  service.  Advancing  step  by 
step,  he  occupies  an  eminent  position  in  professional  ranks  and  is  most  conscientious 
in  the  discharge  of  every  professional  duty. 


JOHN  T.  MILBAN'K. 


John  T.  Milbank,  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Chillicothe,  where 
for  many  years  he  has  been  prominently  and  successfully  engaged  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness, was  born  in  Troy,  Madison  county,  Illinois,  February  9,  1861,  his  parents  being 
George  and  Sarah  Ellen  (Swain)  Milbank.  The  father  was  born  in  Essex,  England, 
July  14,  1833,  and  spent  the  first  twenty-two  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  country. 
In  18.55  he  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  family  and  sailed  tor  the  new  world,  settling  first 
in  Akron,  Ohio,  where  he  followed  the  milling  trade,  which  he  had  previously  learned 
in  England.  He  afterward  removed  to  a  point  near  Evansville,  Indiana,  and  from  1856 
until  1860  was  a  resident  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  In  the  latter  year  he  established  his 
home  in  Troy,  Madison  county,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  the  milling  business  on 
his  own  account  until  1867,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  at  Chillicothe,  where  he  erected 
the  second  mill  in  Livingston  county.  He  also  became  the  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Chillicothe  and  was  extensively  interested  in  farming  as  the  owner  of  a  large 
tract  of  land  which  was  cultivated  under  his  supervision.  He  was  married  May  3, 
1860,  to  Miss  Sarah  Ellen  Swain  and  they  became  the  parents  of  nine  children:  John 
T.,  Sarah  W.,  George  M.,  Lucy  T.,  Charles  R.,  Mary  L.,  Henry  S.,  Kate  S.  and  Nellie  May. 
George  M.  and  Nellie  May  have  passed  away.  In  the  year  1897  George  Milbank  retired 
from  active  business  and  spent  his  remaining  days  in  a  well  earned  rest,  passing  away 
in  1903,  while  his  wife  survived  until  1910. 

John  T.  Milbank  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Chillicothe  and 
his  business  training  was  received  under  the  direction  of  his  father  in  the  mill.  He 
became  familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  business  add  more  and  more  largely  relieved 
his  father  of  responsibility  in  that  connection.  In  1897  he  and  his  brother,  Henry 
Milbank,  purchased  the  mill  which  he  has  since  conducted.  It  has  tor  many  years 
been  one  of  the  most  important  productive  industries  of  Chillicothe,  its  output  finding 
a  ready  sale  on  the  market  because  of  the  excellence  and  quality  of  the  flour  produced. 
Like  his  father  Mr.  Milbank  entered  financial  circles,  being  elected  a  director  of  the 
First  National  Bank.  He  later  served  as  president  of  the  institution  and  is  now  the  vice 
president.  He  has  also  owned  and  operated  two  farms  in  Livingston  county  and  has 
thus  been  closely  and  prominently  associated  with  various  business  interests  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  From  1897  until  1911  John  T.  Milbank  was  a  partner  of  his 
brother,  Henry  Milbank,  in  the  ownership  and  operation  ot  the  mill,  but  at  the  latter 
date  became  sole  proprietor  through  the  purchase  of  his  brother's  interests.  The  plant 
has  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  barrels  of  flour  and  fifty  barrels  of  corn  meal 
per  day  and  the  product  is  readily  disposed  ot  in  the  local  market  and  in  St.  Louis. 
This  mill  has  done  much  to  encourage  the  growing  of  wheat  in  Livingston  county  and 
has  turned  back  to  the  farmers  many  millions  of  dollars  during  the  years  of  its 
existence. 


156  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1895,  Mr.  Milbank  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Bessie  W. 
Palmer,  a  native  of  Des  Moines.  Iowa,  anri  a  daughter  of  Serring  and  Elida  (Bassett) 
Palmer',  the  former  a  native  of  Canada  and  the  latter  of  New  York.  About  1870  Mr 
Palmer'  came  to  Missouri,  settling  in  Chillicothe,  where  he  worked  at  the  tinsmith's 
trade.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Milbank  have  been  born  three  children:  George  Edward,  who 
was  born  Julv  14,  1897,  and  is  now  studying  medicine  in  the  State  University  at  Colum- 
bia; John  Palmer,  who  was  born  February  17,  1900,  and  is  studying  milling  in  Chicago; 
and  Elizabeth  Sarah,  who  was  born  July  18,  1905,  and  is  at  home.  Mrs.  Milbank  has 
written  for  the  Kansas  City  Star,  the  Globe  Democrat,  the  Christian  Herald,  the  Youth's 
Companion,  St.  Nicholas  and  several  other  newspapers  and  magazines,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  executive  board  of  the  Missouri  Writers'  Guild.  She  is  a  lady  of  marked  capa- 
bility and  intellectual  force  and  has  won  an  enviable  place  in  literary  circles  in  her 
state.  During  the  period  of  the  World  war  she  became  most  active  in  support  of 
interests  connected  therewith  and  tilled  the  position  of  vice  chairman  of  the  Red  Cross 
at  Chillicothe.  She  belongs  to  the  Episcopal  church  and  Mr.  Milbank  has  membership 
with  the  Masons,  attaining  the  Royal  Arch  degree.  His  political  endorsement  is  given 
to  the  democratic  party,  butr  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have  had  no  attraction 
for  him,  as  he  has  always  preferred  to  concentrate  his  energies  and  attention  upon  his 
business  interests,  which  have  been  wisely,  carefully  and  profitably  conducted.  His 
labors,  too,  have  ever  been  of  a  character  which  have  contributed  to  the  progress 
and  prosperity  of  the  community  at  large,  as  well  as  to  his  individual  success,  and  the 
exercise  of  effort  is  keeping  him  alert. 


DAVID  L.  HOUGHTLIN. 


David  L.  Houghtlin,  who  for  thirteen  months  was  on  active  duty  in  France  with 
the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  and  is  now  engaged  in  insurance  work  in  St.  Louis, 
his  native  city,  was  born  July  6,  1892.  His  father,  David  M.  Houghtlin,  was  a  native  of 
Jerseyville,  Illinois,  born  January  20,  1870,  and  his  position  is  that  of  general  sales  agent 
for  the  Southern  Coal,  Coke  &  Mining  Company,  with  offices  in  the  Security  Building 
of  St.  Louis.  Both  the  paternal  grandfather  and  the  maternal  grandfather  of  David  L. 
Houghtlin  served  in  the  Civil  war  with  the  Union  army.  The  latter  was  David  Gleasou, 
a  merchant  of  Jerseyville,  Illinois,  and  the  father  of  Berdie  Emma  Gleason,  who  in 
Jerseyville,  became  the  wife  of  David  M.  Houghtlin.  Their  marriage  was  blessed  with 
six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  David  L.  of  this  review  is  the  eldest. 
The  others  are  Lester,  an  electrical  engineer  who  married  Norma  Norriss;  Alice  Erma, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Raymond  Kaltwasser,  the  secretary  of  the  General  Metal  Products 
Company  of  St.  Louis;  Paul  William,  eighteen  years  of  age;  Jean  Emily,  aged  sixteen; 
and  Robert  Germain,  a  lad  of  nine. 

David  L.  Houghtlin  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis  and  after  attend- 
ing the  Yeatman  high  school  spent  two  and  a  half  years  as  a  student  in  the  State  Uni- 
versity. Having  determined  upon  the  practice  of  law  as  a  life  work,  he  continued  his 
law  studies  in  the  La  Salle  University,  at  Chicago,  and  was  there  graduated  in  June, 
1916,  with  the  LL.  B.  degree.  A  year  later  he  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  Missouri 
state  bar,  l)ut  had  scarcely  entered  upon  his  professional  career,  when  in  September.  1917, 
he  joined  the  army.  He  served  in  France  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  for 
thirteen  months,  going  overseas  as  a  private  of  Company  C,  Six  Hundred  and  First 
Engineers,  while  later  he  was  advanced  to  the  grade  of  corporal.  He  did  service  along 
the  Chateau  Thierry  front,  also  in  the  St.  Mihiel  sector  and  the  Tout  front,  in  the 
Argonne  and  in  the  Argonne-Meuse  drive.  He  returned  to  America  in  July,  1919,  with 
intimate  knowledge  of  all  the  experiences  of  modern  warfare,  having  proven  a  most 
valorous  and  loyal  defender  of  the  principles  for  which  America  stood.  He  received  his 
discharge  from  the  service  on  the  16th  of  July,  1919.  Since  his  return  he  has  taken 
up  adjustment  work  for  the  Travelers  Insurance  Company,  of  St.  Louis,  and  is  so  now 
engaged. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1920,  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Houghtlin  was  married  to  Miss 
Berenice  Lucas,  a  daughter  of  William  A.  Lucas,  an  architect  of  this  city.  His  political 
endorsement  is  given  to  the  republican  party  and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with  Beacon 
Lodge,  No.  3,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  became  a  member  in  1914.  He  also  belongs 
to  the  Forest  Park  Tennis  Club  and  Peers-Williams  Post,  American  Legion.    Religiously 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  157 

he  is  connected  with  the  Tyler  Place  Presbyterian  church,  and  his  life  measures  up  to 
high  standards  and  is  actuated  by  worthy  purposes.  That  he  possesses  many  attractive 
social  qualities  is  indicated  by  the  large  number  of  his  friends  in  St.  Louis,  where  his 
entire  life  has  been  spent. 


COLONEL  KARL  D.  KLEMM. 

Colonel  Karl  D.  Klemm,  president  of  the  Kansas  City,  Kaw  Valley  &  Western 
Railroad  and  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  December  5, 
1880,  his  parents  being  Richard  and  Carrie  (Daenzer)  Klemm.  The  mother  was  a 
member  of  one  of  the  prominent  pioneer  families  of  the  state,  particularly  well  known 
in  newspaper  circles.  The  father  was  born  in  Stuttgart,  Germany,  and  became  a  civil 
engineer.  For  many  years  he  followed  his  profession  in  the  middle  west  and  was  profes- 
sionally connected  with  the  construction  of  the  Eads  bridge.  He  also  filled  the  position 
of  park  commissioner  and  was  chief  engineer  on  the  ScuUin  Line  Railroad,  which  later 
was  taken  over  by  the  Union  Depot  Railroad  Com.pany.  He  figured  prominently  in  con- 
nection with  the  professional,  civic  and  social  interests  of  St.  Louis  and  the  middle 
west  and  rose  to  prominence,  enjoying  the  high  regard  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 
He  passed  away  in  1896.  ^ 

Colonel  Klemm,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  attended  the  Smith  Academy 
of  St.  Louis  and  afterward  became  a  student  in  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at 
West  Point,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1905,  becoming  a  second  lieutenant  of 
cavalry  in  Troop  G  of  the  Fourth  United  States  Cavalry  Regiment.  In  1911  he  was 
advanced  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  in  the  cavalry  branch  of  the  army  and  so  served 
until  he  resigned.  WTien  he  took  up  the  interests  of  civil  life  he  entered  into  active 
connection  with  the  Commerce  Trust  Company  of  Kansas  City  as  assistant  secretary 
and  in  1912  became  associated  with  the  Kansas  City,  Kaw  Valley  &  Western  Railroad  as 
its  president.  He  has  since  been  active  in  directing  the  policy  and  shaping  the  activities 
of  this  corporation  and  has  also  become  prominently  known  in  other  business  associa- 
tions. He  is  now  a  director  of  the  Joplin-Pittsburgh  Railroad  Company,  of  the  Kansas 
City  Food  Products  Company  of  which  he  is  also  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  directorate  of  the  Commerce  Bank  &  Trust  Company. 

Colonel  Klemm's  military  record  is  a  most  interesting  one.  America's  entrance  into 
the  World  war  thoroughly  aroused  his  patriotic  nature  and  in  April,  1917,  he  enlisted 
as  a  private  in  Battery  B,  First  Battalion  of  the  Missouri  Artillery.  He  organized  the 
Second  Regiment  of  Artillery  of  the  Missouri  National  Guard  and  was  made  captain 
of  Battery  F.  He  was  then  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  of  tlie  First  Battalion  and 
was  later  promoted  to  the  colonelcy.  He  took  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  Field 
Artillery  of  the  Thirty-fifth  Division  to  France  and  was  ranking  colonel  of  this  division. 
He  was  commander  of  the  Sixtieth  Field  Artillery  Brigade  in  the  Argonne,  in  the  St. 
Mihiel  offensive  and  in  the  sanguinary  battle  of  the  Meuse  Argonne.  With  him  it  was 
always  a  case  of  "Come,  boys,"  rather  than  a  command  to  his  troops  to  proceed.  He 
led  his  men  and  his  own  courage  and  valor  inspired  them  to  deeds  of  bravery  and 
loyalty.  After  the  armistice  was  signed  he  was  transferred  to  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixth  Field  Artillery  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Division  and  brought  his  regiment  home, 
receiving  his  discharge  in  April,  1919.  There  was  no  phase  of  modern  warfare,  as 
exemplified  on  the  battlefields  of  Flanders  and  France,  with  which  he  did  not  become 
familiar  through  actual  experience  and  his  promotions  were  well  won,  as  evidenced 
by  the  commendatory  words  of  his  superior  officers.  Colonel  Klemm  was  made  a 
delegate  to  the  American  Legion  convention  in  Paris  on  the  16th  of  February,  1919. 
He  helped  organize  Fitzsimmons  Post  at  Kansas  City  and  was  made  a  member  of  the 
city  central  executive  committee  and  also  a  delegate  to  the  national  convention  of  the 
Legion   held   in   Cleveland   in   1920. 

Colonel  Klemm  was  married  in  1911  to  Miss  Gertrude  Heim,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
J.  Heim,  president  of  the  Joplin-Pittsburgh  Railroad,  also  of  the  Home  Telephone  Com- 
pany, also  president  of  the  Kansas  City  Food  Products  Company  and  a  director  of  the 
Bank  of  Commerce.  Colonel  Klemm  and  his  wife  are  popular  socially  and  are  valued 
members  of  the  Episcopal  church.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican 
party  and  fraternally  he  is  a  Mason  and  an  Elk.  He  is  prominent  in  the  club  circles  of 
the  city,  belonging  to  the  Rotary,  the  Kansas  City  Country,  the  University,  the  Kansas 


158  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

City  Athletic,  the  Mid-Day  and  the  Mission  Hills  Clubs.  He  is  a  man  of  most  pro- 
gressive spirit.  He  is  continually  actuated  by  a  desire  to  advance  and  to  accomplish 
more  than  he  has  hitherto  done.  Opportunity  has  ever  been  to  him  a  call  to  action  and 
his  sound  judgment,  his  progressiveness  and  his  magnetic  personality  have  ever  placed 
him  iu  a  position  of  leadership. 


JUDGE  HENRY  L.  McCUNE. 

Judge  Henry  L.  McCune  is  a  prominent  Kansas  City  lavfyer  who  has  ever 
been  most  loyal  to  his  profession  and  has  never  permitted  himself  to  be  diverted 
into  other  lines  of  business.  For  thirty  years  he  has  practiced  in  Kansas  City 
save  for  the  period  of  his  four  years'  service  on  the  bench  as  circuit  judge.  He  was 
born  in  Ipava,  Fulton  county,  Hlinois,  June  28,  1862.  His  father,  Joseph  L. 
McCune,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  in  the  course  of  his  business  career  followed 
both  merchandising  and  banking.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature 
of  Illinois  and  was  an  active  and  influential  citizen  of  Fulton  county.  He  married 
Martha  E.  Quillin,  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  of  whom  Judge  McCune  is  the  eldest.  Three  of  the  number  are  liv- 
ing.    The  father  and  mother  have  both  passed  away. 

Henry  L.  McCune  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  county 
and  in  Hlinois  College  at  Jacksonville.  He  afterward  entered  the  University  of 
Illinois,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  Bachelor  of  Science  degree  as 
a  member  of  the  class  of  1883.  In  preparation  for  a  professional  career  he 
attended  Columbia  University  of  New  York  and  won  his  LL.  B.  degree  in  1886. 
In  selecting  a  location  for  the  practice  of  his  profession  he  chose  a  growing  city 
where  he  knew  that  business  existed  and  one  far  removed  from  his  boyhood  home. 
His  initial  professional  experience  was  gained  in  Oswego,  Kansas,  where  he  remained 
for  three  years,  or  until  1890,  when  he  removed  to  Kansas  City,  where  he  has 
since  continued.  As  a  lawyer  his  outstanding  qualification  is  the  unusual  one 
of  having  combined  with  a  splendid  legal  knowledge  a  fine  appreciation  of  the  busi- 
ness principles  involved  in  the  subject  under  consideration.  This  has  brought  him 
the  most  conservative  financial  clientele  of  any  attorney  in  the  city.  For  the 
reason  mentioned  his  counsel  is  particularly  satisfactory  and  valuable.  Added  to 
his  fine  professional  qualifications  is  an  unusually  well  balanced  mind,  an  abundant 
energy  and  unfaltering  loyalty  to  the  interests  of  those  whom  he  represents.  For 
many  years  he  has  given  much  time  to  civic  matters  and  to  the  advancement  of 
public  interests  and  for  four  years  he  was  judge  of  the  circuit  court  of  Missouri. 
He  has  been  particularly  active  in  juvenile  court  work  and  established  the  McCune 
Home  for  Boys.  He  acted  as  the  first  juvenile  court  judge  of  Kansas  City  and 
it  was  during  that  time  that  the  farm  in  Jackson  county  was  acquired  for  the  deten- 
tion and  education  of  wayward  though  not  criminal  boys,  since  which  time  it  has 
been  known  as  the  McCune  Home.  The  county  has  spent  a  great  amount  of  money 
in  improving  and  enlarging  this  institution,  thus  carrying  out  the  active  work 
promoted  by  Judge  McCune.  He  is  now  practicing  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
McCune,  Caldwell  &  Downing. 

In  1888  Judge  McCune  was  married  to  Miss  Helen  A.  McCrary,  daughter  of 
Judge  George  W.  McCrary,  a  very  prominent  jurist  of  Missouri.  Their  children 
are  Joseph  M.  and  Helen  Elizabeth.  The  son  is  attorney  for  the  Sinclair  Oil  Com- 
pany of  Tulsa,  Oklahoma.  He  married  Miss  Shirley  Cole,  of  Kansas  City,  and 
they  have  two  children,  Bettie  Cole  and  Joseph  M.,  Jr.  The  daughter.  Helen 
Elizabeth,  is  attending  college  in  New  York. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCune  are  members  of  the  Westminster  Congregational  church, 
in  which  he  is  serving  as  an  elder.  This  was  formerly  a  Presbyterian  church  but 
has  been  converted  into  a  Congregational  church  and  is  the  only  one  of  that 
denomination  in  the  country  that  has  an  eldership.  Judge  McCune  has  manifested 
deep  interest  in  the  educational  system  by  six  years'  service  on  the  school  board 
of  Kansas  City.  He  has  always  made  it  a  point  throughout  his  career  to  enjoy  at 
least  one  vacation  annually  and  by  his  outdoor  exercise  has  kept  himself  physically 
fit.  He  particularly  enjoys  a  trip  into  the  open  and  his  friends  bear  testimony  to 
his   splendid   comradeship    when    trout    fishing   and    duck    hunting.      He    belongs    to 


JUDGE  HENRY  L.  McCUNE 


THE  iTiw  lan 
fUMucumKny 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  161 

the  University  Club,  to  tlie  Country  Club,  to  the  Kansas  City  Bar  Association  and 
to  the  American  Bar  Association.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican 
party  and  he  is  a  close  and  discriminating  student  of  the  vital  questions  of  the 
day.  He  has  always  been  an  extensive  reader,  is  well  posted  on  current  literature, 
is  a  lover  of  music  and  when  in  Columbia  University  was  a  member  of  its  Glee 
Club  and  also  became  a  member  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  He  has  always  counted 
the  friendships  he  has  made  as  one  of  his  greatest  assets  and  regards  his  best  work 
as  that  which  he  has  done  for  others  and  would  recommend  to  every  young  man 
that  he  find  time  for  altruistic  work  if  he  hopes  in  his  mature  years  to  look  back 
with  any  satisfaction  upon  his  achievements. 


JOHN  T.  BERGHOFF,  M.  D. 


Dr.  John  T.  Berghoff,  of  St.  Joseph,  was  a  distinguished  member  of  the  medical 
profession  of  Missouri  and  made  valuable  contribution  thereto  through  his  investigations, 
researches  and  inventions,  for  he  was  the  inventor  of  the  universal  fracture  apparatus 
now  in  use  by  surgeons  throughout  the  country.  Dr.  Berghoff  was  horn  on  the  17th 
of  November,  1823,  at  Arnsberg,  Westphalia,  Germany,  his  parents  being  John  and 
Theresa  (Wiegstein)  Berghoff.  After  acquiring  his  literary  education  in  his  native 
country  he  studied  pharmacy  and  in  1846  came  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  Galveston, 
Texas,  on  the  15th  of  April  of  that  year.  There  he  remained  through  the  summer  and 
in  October,  1846,  made  his  way  northward  to  St.  Louis.  In  1850  he  opened  a  drug  store 
in  that  city  and  it  was  this  which  awakened  his  interest  in  the  study  of  medicine,  so 
that  after  two  years  devoted  to  the  drug  trade  he  began  reading  medicine  under  Dr. 
Thomas  Y.  Bainister,  resident  physician  at  the  St.  Louis  City  Hospital.  For  three  years 
Dr.  Berghoff  served  as  assistant  to  the  older  physician  and  attended  three  courses  of 
lectures  in  the  medical  department  of  the  St.  Louis  University,  now  the  St.  Louis 
Medical  College,  being  graduated  therefrom  on  the  1st  of  March,  1855.  In  1859  he 
located  in  St.  Joseph  and  upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  in  1861  joined  the  Union 
army  as  a  surgeon  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment,  Missouri  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Colonel  Peabody.  He  was  captured  at  the  battle  of  Lexington  but  was  paroled  and  sent 
to  St.  Louis  by  General  Sterling  Price.  He  was  afterward  recaptured  at  Centralia, 
Missouri,  but  was  released  after  proving  himself  a  paroled  prisoner  On  the  6th  of 
April,  1862,  he  was  again  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  and  because  of  his  skill 
in  surgery  his  services  were  gladly  utilized  in  a  Confederate  hospital.  There  were  three 
surgeons,  four  hospital  attendants  and  fifty-six  wounded  Union  men  in  charge  of  Surgeon 
Berghoff  and  these,  through  his  management,  were  liberated  under  agreement  between 
the  Confederate  and  Union  forces  on  the  10th  of  April,  1862.  Subsequently  Dr.  Berghoff 
served  with  the  Twenty-fifth  Missouri  Regiment,  which  was  organized  from  the  original 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  until  its  consolidation  with  the  First  Regiment  of  Missouri 
Engineers.  He  was  then  honorably  discharged  from  the  service  on  the  30th  of  January, 
1864,  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  upon  his  return  home  was  commissioned  surgeon 
of  the  Eighty-seventh  Regiment,  enlisted  minute  men.  On  the  10th  of  March,  1864,  he 
was  commissioned  surgeon  of  the  Missouri  Militia  and  was  made  examining  surgeon  for 
the  draft.  Thus  through  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  Dr.  Berghoff  rendered  valuable 
aid  to  his  adopted  country,  of  which  he  ever  remained  a  loyal  citizen. 

In  1868  and  again  in  1870  Dr.  Berghoff  was  elected  coroner  of  Buchanan  county 
and  in  1868  he  was  appointed  and  elected  president  of  the  board  of  United  States 
examining  surgeons  at  St.  Joseph,  filling  that  position  continuously  until  1893  save  for 
the  period  of  President  Cleveland's  administration.  He  also  occupied  the  position  of 
city  health  officer  under  Mayor  William  M.  Shepard  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  He 
ever  remained  a  valued  exponent  of  his  profession,  keeping  in  touch  with  the  most 
advanced  scientific  researches  and  discoveries,  so  that  his  labors  were  of  great  value 
in  active  practice.  He  also  held  the  position  of  professor  of  the  principles  and  practice 
of  surgery  in  the  Northwestern  Medical  College  of  St.  Joseph,  now  the  Central  Medical 
College.  He  belonged  to  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  American  Public  Health 
Association,  the  Missouri  State  Medical  Association,  the  Missouri  Valley  Medical  Society 
and  the  District  Medical  Society  of  Northern  Missouri.  In  May,  1893,  before  the  Missouri 
State  Medical  Association,  and  before  the  Missouri  Valley  Medical  Society  on  the  4th  of 
October,  1893,  he  read  a  paper  on  the  treatment  of  fractures  of  the  leg  which  attracted 
much  attention,  as  he  was  known  to  the  profession  as  a  surgeon  who  had  given  very 

Vol.  Ill— 11 


162  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

close  study  to  this  question  and  who  had  perfected  an  apparatus  for  the  treatment  of 
such  fractures,  known  as  the  universal  fracture  apparatus.  This  was  invented  by  Dr. 
Berghoff  and  patented  on  the  19th  of  September,  1893,  and  its  utility  and  worth  were 
at  once  recognized.  The  invention  has  proved  of  the  greatest  value  in  the  treatment  of 
fractures  and  diseases  of  the  hip,  knee  and  ankle  joints,  and  it  is  now  widely  in  use  by 
the  surgeons  who  have  added  it  to  their  equipment. 

In  1847  Dr.  Berghoff  was  marr-ied  to  Miss  Caroline  Rosenburg,  of  St.  Louis,  who 
passed  away  April  17,  1884.  On  the  27th  of  December,  1884,  Dr.  Berghoff  was  married 
to  Maria  Adams,  who  was  born  in  Soest,  Germany,  a  daughter  of  Arnold  and  Catherina 
(Choeneberg)  Adams.  Maria  Adams  came  to  the  new  world  in  1880,  taking  up  her 
abode  at  the  home  of  an  jincle  in  Quincy,  Illinois.  There  from  1881  until  1884  she 
pursued  a  course  in  nursing  in  Blessing  Hospital,  after  which  she  came  to  St.  Joseph, 
where  she  met  Dr.  Berghoff  and  they  were  married.  Four  children  were  born  to  them: 
Maria  B.,  Caroline  W.,  John  T.  and  Theodore  Arnold.  The  death  of  Dr.  Berghoff 
occurred  January  13,  1897,  after  an  illness  of  more  than  a  year.  He  was  one  of  the  tour 
hundred  and  ten  republicans  of  St.  Joseph  who  dared  to  vote  in  accordance  with  their 
sentiments  in  the  hotly  contested  election  of  1860.  He  was  ever  a  man  of  firm  convictions 
and  his  position  upon  any  vital  question  was  never  an  equivocal  one.  He  belonged  to 
Custer  Post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  A  man  of  the  highest  personal  char- 
acter, upright  and  honorable  in  every  relation  of  life,  he  enjoyed  the  warm  regard  of 
an  extensive  circle  of  friends,  while  his  ability  as  a  practitioner  made  his  name  an 
honored  one  in  professional  circles  throughout  Missouri. 


ELSWORTH  FAYSSOUX   SMITH,   M.  D. 

Dr.  Elsworth  Fayssoux  Smith,  of  whom  it  has  been  said:  "He  laid  down  his 
life  in  the  exercise  of  the  noble  profession  to  which  his  energies  had  been  devoted," 
was  born  in  St.  Louis,  April  29,  1825,  his  parents  being  John  B.  and  Louisa  (Mc- 
Dougal)  Smith.  The  father  was  for  many  years  a  leading  merchant  of  St.  Louis 
during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  and  he  also  became  the  first  president 
of  the  old  State  Bank  of  Missouri.  He  was  likewise  connected  with  the  public 
lite  of  the  community,  becoming  the  first  collector  of  the  port  of  St.  Louis  and  county 
and  state  collector  during  the  early  history  of  Missouri.  He  married  a  daughter  of 
Captain  Alexander  McDougal  of  New  York  city  and  a  descendant  of  General  Alex- 
ander McDougal  of  Revolutionary  war  fame  and  also  of  Oliver  Ellsworth,  the  renowned 
jurist,  who  was  the  author  of  the  bill  creating  the  United  States  judiciary  and  served 
as  chief  justice  of  the  United  States  supreme  court  from  1796  until  1799,  when  he 
resigned. 

Dr.  Smith  was  reared  in  St.  Louis  and  attended  St.  Charles  College  and  the 
St.  Louis  University,  being  graduated  from  the  latter  in  1845  upon  the  completion 
of  a  classical  course.  He  at  once  began  preparation  for  the  practice  of  medicine 
and  won  his  professional  degree  from  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College,  then  the  medical 
department  of  the  St.  Louis  University.  Almost  immediately  thereafter  he  became 
one  of  the  first  two  internes  of  the  City  Hospital  of  St.  Louis.  In  1852  he  went 
abroad  for  further  medical  and  scientific  study  in  Paris,  where  he  continued  until 
1854,  and  in  1864-5  he  again  spent  some  time  in  study  abroad,  adding  to  his  profes- 
sional attainments  through  his  intercourse  with  the  most  renowned  physicians  of 
that  day  and  the  superior  clinical  advantages  afl:orded  by  the  French  hospitals.  With 
the  exception  of  these  two  periods  spent  in  Europe  he  remained  continuously  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  St.  Louis  and  became  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  eminent 
physicians  in  the  city.  He  won  equal  fame  as  a  medical  educator.  Soon  after  enter- 
ing upon  his  professional  career  he  was  made  demonstrator  of  anatomy  in  the 
St.  Louis  Medical  College  and  in  1868  he  was  appointed  to  the  chair  of  physiology 
and  medical  jurisprudence  in  the  same  institution.  Two  years  later  he  was  made 
professor  of  clinical  medicine  and  pathological  anatomy  and  so  continued  until 
1886,  when  he  resigned  that  chair.  He  was  made  emeritus  professor  of  clinical 
medicine  and  pathological  anatomy,  however,  in  recognition  of  the  valuable  serv- 
ices which  he  had  rendered  in  that  connection  to  the  institution  and  to  the  general 
public,  his  professorship  having  extended  over  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  Of  him  it 
has   been  written:    "As  an   educator   he   was   no    less   distinguished   than   as   physician 


DR.  ELSWORTH  F.  SMITH 


fif  ffir  tsij:    t 

ntmmnkKy 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  165 

and  was  known  to  the  profession  as  an  able  teacher,  having  the  happy  faculty  of  enter- 
taining and  instructing  at  the  same  time  those  who  came  under  his  preceptorship. 
The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was  conferred  upon  him  in  recognition  of  his  scholarly 
attainments  and  his  ability  as  a  medical  educator.  As  a  consulting  physician  he 
was  widely  known  throughout  the  country  adjacent  to  St.  Louis,  and  he  enjoyed 
to  the  fullest  extent  the  confidence  both  of  the  profession  and  of  the  general  public." 

His  professional  life  was  one  of  intense  activity  and  he  filled  many  important 
positions  in  St.  Louis,  rendering  valuable  service  to  his  native  city  at  various  times. 
During  the  Civil  war  he  was  acting  assistant  surgeon  of  the  United  States  army, 
having  charge  of  the  military  smallpox  hospital  in  this  city  and  serving  also  as 
surgeon  to  Eliot  General  Hospital.  From  1872  to  1875  hei  was  surgeon  to  the 
United  States  Marine  Hospital  in  St.  Louis.  His  high  courage  in  the  face  of  great 
danger  and  his  chivalrous  devotion  to  his  calling  was  made  manifest  during  the 
epidemics  of  cholera  and  smallpox  which  prevailed  in  St.  Louis  while  he'  was  in  the 
active  practice  of  his  profession,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  his  heroic  services 
called  fortn  the  warmest  praise  from  his  fellow  citizens,  many  of  whom  still  hold 
him  in  grateful  remembrance.  He  was  the  first  health  officer  of  St.  Louis,  serving 
from  1857  to  1863,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  first  regular  board  of  health  created 
by  act  of  the  legislature,  serving  as  third  president  of  that  board.  Because  of  his 
spirit  of  helpfulness  and  broad  philanthropy  he  gave  his  professional  aid  without 
remuneration  to  the  public  and  charitable  institutions  of  the  city  for  many  years 
in  the  capacity  of  consulting  physician. 

In  1860  Dr.  Smith  was  married  to  Miss  Isabelle  Chenie,  a  daughter  of  Autoine 
Leon  and  Julia  (do  Mun)  Chenie.  She  passed  away  August  30,  1908,  at  Pointe  aux 
Barques,  Michigan,  at  the  summer  home  of  her  son.  Dr.  Elsworth  Smith,  a  dis- 
tinguished St.  Louis  physician.  The  other  members  of  the  family  are:  J.  de  Mun, 
who  was  associated  with  William  Schotten  &  Company  and  who  died  at  the  zenith 
of  his  usefulness  and  success  April  6,  1911;  J.  Sheppard  Smith,  vice  president  of  the 
Missouri  Valley  Trust  Company;  Julia  P.,  now  the  wife  of  Colonel  William  D. 
Crosby,  a  surgeon  of  the  United  States  army;  and  Emilie  de  Mun  Smith,  the  wife 
of  J.  D.  Perry  Francis,  the  eldest  son  of  Hon.  David  R.  Francis,  ambassador  to  Russia. 
Through  her  father  Mrs.  Smith  was  a  descendant  of  the  founder  of  St.  Louis,  who 
was  related  also  to  the  Chenie  family  of  Canada,  representatives  of  which  achieved 
distinction    in   the   Canadian   rebellion   of    1837. 

The  death  of  Dr.  Smith  occurred  at  Fort  Missoula,  Montana,  August  19,  1896, 
as  the  result  of  severe  burns  which  ha  sustained  while  visiting  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Crosby.  In  a  memorial  of  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College  it  was  said:  "To  his  con- 
temporaries he  has  ever  been  known  as  an  honest  and  earnest  seeker  after  wisdom, 
highly  respected  for  his  unusual  attainments;  beloved  for  his  gentle  and  kindly 
personality.  With  those  who  have  been  students  under  his  teachings  a  feeling  of  lov- 
ing reverence  tor  the  man  mingles  with  the  sentiment  of  high  regard  for  the  knowledge 
and   talents   of  the   true   physician. 

"The  faculty  of  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College,  of  which  he  was  for  so  many  years 
an  honored  and  illustrious  member,  recognizing  the  great  loss  to  this  body  in  the 
death  of  one  so  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  college  and  the  profession  and  realiz- 
ing the  far  greater  loss  to  his  stricken  family,  wish  hereby  to  extend  to  each  and 
every  member  their  deep  and  heartfelt  sympathy  and  to  express  their  sense  of  the 
great  loss  to  the  profession  and  the  community  in  the  death  of  such  a  man.  His  life, 
pure,   blameless,   unselfish,   will   ever  remain   an   inspiration   to   noble   effort." 

Fitting  memorials  were  written  by  the  City  Hospital  Medical  Society  and  other 
organizations,  while  the  St.  Louis  Medical  Society  said  in  part:  "He  possessed,  as  a 
teacher,  great  ability  and  held  the  respect  and  the  love  of  his  students.  Dr.  Smith 
while  still  a  young  man  pursued  his  studies  in  the  hospitals  of  Paris.  He  was  in 
love  with  the  study  of  medicine  and  put  into  the  practice  all  his  knowledge  and  skill 
with  the  loving  kindness  of  an  unselfish  devotee.  His  love  for  humanity  and  his 
reverence  for  the  office  of  the  physician  enabled  him  to  sustain  an  increasing  and  a 
growing  interest  in  his  professional  work.  He  was  honored  by  his  professional  brothers 
with  their  confidence  and  their  respect  and  was  beloved  by  his  patients  for  his  skill 
in  practice,  for  his  kindly  ministrations  and  for  his  interest  in  their  personal  welfare. 
He  gave  of  himself  to  all  who  needed  help  and  he  worshipped  at  the  shrine  of  truth; 
truth  in  man,  truth  in  scientific  medicine  and  truth  in  nature's  laws.  Duty  and  the 
love   of  truth  became   his  watchwords,  and   even   in   the   years   of   fullness   that   came 


166  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

to  him  with  the  lapse  of  time  these  watchwords  held  him  to  the  chosen  pathway  of 
professional  work  and  his  last  effort  was  an  exemplification  of  his  devotion  to  the 
highest   aim   of   our   art — mitigation   of   human   suffering." 


ELSWORTH   STRIKER  SMITH,  M.   D. 

Inspired  by  the  example  of  his  illustrious  father,  who  was  an  honor  and  credit 
to  the  profession,  and  imbued  with  a  laudable  ambition  and  humanitarian  principles, 
Dr.  Elsworth  Striker  Smith  has  attained  to  a  position  of  leadership  among  the 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  St.  Louis,  in  which  city  he  was  born  January  1,  1864,  his 
parents  being  Elsworth  Fayssoux  and  Isabelle  (Chenie)  Smith,  the  latter  a  daughter 
of  Antoine  Leon  and  Julia  (de  Mun)  Chenie.  He  is  a  descendant  of  the  Chenie  family 
of  Canada  and  also  of  Augusts  Chouteau,  the  founder  of  St.  Louis,  and  of  Charles 
Gratiot,  head  of  the  distinguished  American  family  of  that  name.  The  paternal  great- 
grandfather of  Dr.  Smith  was  William  Smith,  who  erected  the  second  brick  house  in 
St.  Louis.  His  grandfather  was  John  Brady  Smith,  the  first  president  of  the  old  State 
Bank  of  Missouri,  also  state  and  county  collector  and  United  States  surveyor  of  the 
port  of  St.  Louis,  and  likewise  an  esteemed  merchant  and  citizen.  He  was  a  gentle- 
man of  the  old  school  and  a  close  personal  friend  of  Thomas  H.  Benton.  The  grand- 
mother in  the  paternal  line  was  Louisa  A.  McDougal,  daughter  of  Alexander  McDougal 
of  the  British  navy  and  a  descendant  of  Oliver  Ellsworth,  the  renowned  jurist  and 
chief  Justice  of  the  United  States  supreme  court.  The  record  of  Dr.  Smith's  father  is 
given  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  Dr.  Elsworth  S.  Smith  pursued  his  early 
education,  and  entering  the  St.  Louis  University  was  graduated  with  the  Bachelor 
of  Arts  degree  in  1884,  while  in  1888  his  alma  mater  conferred  upon  him  the  Master 
of  Arts  degree.  Determining  to  follow  in  his  father's  professional  footsteps,  he  won 
his  M.  D.  degree  upon  graduation  from  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College  in  1887.  Fol- 
lowing the  tendency  of  the  age  toward  specialization,  his  practice  has  been  limited  to 
internal  medicine  and  diagnosis  and  largely  to  diseases  of  the  heart,  blood  vessels  and 
kidneys.  Like  his  father,  he  has  won  distinction  in  the  educational  field,  having  been 
demonstrator  of  anatomy,  instructor  in  physical  diagnosis  and  assistant  physician  to 
the  medical  clinic  of  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College  from  1890  until  1899.  He  is  physi- 
cian to  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  consulting  physician  to  St.  John's  Hospital,  the  Jewish 
Hospital,  the  Barnard  Free  Skin  and  Cancer  Hospitals,  the  Frisco  Hospital  and  the 
St.  Louis  Maternity  Hospital.  He  is  also  assistant  physician  to  the  Barnes  Hospital 
and  clinical  professor  of  medicine  in  the  Washington  University  Medical  School.  In 
1887  he  was  made  junior  assistant  physician  and  later  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
St.  Louis  City  Hospital  and  so  continued  until  1890.  He  is  an  ex-president  of  the 
Medical  Society  of  the  City  Hospital  Alumni;  was  a  member  of  the  advisory  com- 
mittee to  the  health  commissioner  during  the  influenza  epidemic  in  the  winter  of 
1918-19 ;  is  an  ex-president  of  the  St.  Louis  Medical  Society,  having  been  its  chief 
officer  in  1917-18;  is  an  ex-president  of  the  St.  Louis  Society  of  Internal  Medicine  and 
became  the  first  president  of  the  St.  Louis  Clinics,  just  organized  as  a  section  of  the 
St.  Louis  Medical   Society. 

On  the  21st  of  February,  1900.  in  St.  Louis,  Dr.  Smith  was  married  to  Miss  Grace 
Piatt,  who  passed  away  November  27,  1912.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  S.  and 
Elizabeth  (Barnes)  Piatt,  the  former  president  of  the  Platt-Thornburg  Paint  Company 
and  a  much  respected  and  prominent  merchant  of  St.  Louis.  On  the  25th  of  October, 
1916,  Dr.  Smith  wedded  Fannie  Louise  Carr,  a  daughter  of  C.  Bent  and  Louise  (Achison) 
Carr.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  leading  real  estate  men  of  St.  Louis  and  was  also 
prominent  socially.  His  father.  Judge  William  Charles  Carr,  served  as  circuit  judge. 
The  children  of  Dr.  Smith,  all  born  of  his  first  marriage,  are  Elizabeth  Piatt,  E.  A. 
McDougal,  Isabelle  Chenie  and  Phillip  Piatt.  The  family  is  one  of  social  prominence 
and  the  elder  daughter  was  recently  chosen  one  of  the  special  maids  of  honor  at  the 
Veiled  Prophet's  ball. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  in  his 
political  belief  Dr.  Smith  is  a  democrat.  He  belongs  to  the  St.  Louis  Country,  Racquet 
and  University  Clubs  and  possesses  those  qualities  which  make  for  popularity  in 
social  circles,  yet  the   greater  part   of  his  time   and   attention   have  been  concentrated 


DR.   ELSWORTH   S.   SMITH 


T«t  ^^^  ^'^^^ 
POBUCLIBHXKY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  169 

upon  his  professional  interests,  and  aside  from  his  practice  and  his  work  in  the  edu- 
cational field  he  has  written  various  articles  which  have  been  regarded  as  valuable 
contributions  to  medical  literature.  Keeping  ever  abreast  with  scientific  research 
and  discovery  and  holding  to  the  highest  standards  and  ideals  of  his  profession,  he  has 
become  an  acknowledged   leader  among  the   physicians  and   surgeons  of  St.   Louis. 


CHESTER  P.  REITH. 


The  term  "captain  of  industry"  finds  an  exponent  in  Chester  P.  Reith,  who  is  now 
the  president  of  the  Juvenile  Shoe  Corporation  of  America,  a  million-dollar  concern, 
with  large  plants  and  a  mammoth  output.  To  successfully  control  and  direct  the  inter- 
ests of  this  concern,  one  must  needs  possess  marked  administrative  force  and  executive 
ability  combined  with  broad  vision  and  the  capability  of  readily  mastering  the  details 
as  well  as  the  principal  features  of  the  enterprise.  Well  qualified  in  all  these  particulars, 
Chester  F.  Reith  has  won  his  way  to  a  place  among  the  recognized  leaders  in  the 
manufacturing  circles  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  born  in  this  city  July  14,  1886,  his  parents 
being  Edward  B.  and  Clara  Reith.  The  father  died  in  1918,  but  the  mother  is  still 
.living.  There  were  six  children  in  the  family:  Harold,  deceased;  Edna  E.,  the  wife 
of  P.  Meade,  of  St.  Louis;  Clarence  C,  who  has  passed  away;  Chester  P.,  of  this  review; 
Eunice,  also  deceased;  and  Ethel  L.,  who  is  now  attending  the  University  of  California. 

Chester  P.  Reith  was  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis  and  also  attended  the 
Smith  Academy.  He  started  out  in  the  business  world  when  a  youth  of  sixteen  in  the 
employ  of  the  Roberts,  Johnson  &  Rand  Shoe  Company  and  continued  with  them  until 
1914.  In  the  meantime  he  had  thoroughly  acquainted  himself  with  every  phase  of  the 
shoe  business  and  in  the  year  indicated  assisted  in  effecting  the  organization  of  the 
Juvenile  Shoe  Corporation  of  America,  which  is  capitalized  for  one  million  dollars  and 
of  which  he  is  the  president.  This  company  operates  factories  in  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  and 
Carthage,  Missouri,  and  employs  six  hundred  workmen,  the  daily  capacity  being  about 
twenty-five  hundred  pairs  of  shoes.  They  handle  only  juvenile  shoes  and  their  business 
has  reached  most  gratifying  proportions.  They  sell  to  the  jobbing  trade  from  New 
York  to  San  Francisco  and  from  St.  Paul  to  New  Orleans,  and  the  name  of  the  house 
is  a  familiar  one  to  the  trade  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

Mr.  Reith  belongs  to  the  Missouri  Athletic  Association,  also  to  the  Sunset  Hill 
Country  Club  and  turns  to  motoring  for  recreation.  His  political  endorsement  is  given 
to  the  republican  party  but  without  desire  for  office  as  a  reward  for  party  fealty. 


ARTHUR  N.  ADAMS. 


Arthur  N.  Adams,  who  for  twenty-three  years  has  been  a  representative  of  the 
Kansas  City  bar,  was  born  at  Pinkhill,  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  January  15,  1872,  and 
is  a  son  of  James  Monroe  and  Anna  E.  (Nottingham)  Adams.  The  father  was  a  son  of 
Lynchburg  Adams,  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Jackson  county.  He  was  born  near 
Lynchburg,  Virginia,  February  22,  1804,  and  was  named  in  honor  of  the  town.  A  few 
years  later  his  people  removed  to  Kentucky  and  in  1819  came  from  that  state  to  Missouri. 
They  passed  the  winter  in  the  vicinity  of  Boon's  salt  works  near  Cooper's  Port  and  in 
the  spring  of  1820  removed  to  the  Missouri  river  crossing  at  Arrow  Rock.  On  the  3d  of 
March  of  that  year  they  camped  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  just  east  of  Fire  Prairie  creek, 
on  what  is  now  the  east  boundary  line  of  Jackson  county.  The  family  settled  near  Port 
Osage  when  all  this  district  was  a  wild  and  undeveloped  region  in  which  the  work  of 
civilization  had  scarcely  been  begun.  In  the  summer  of  1821  John  and  Joseph  McKeeney 
planted  twenty  acres  of  corn  just  above  the  mouth  of  Fire  Prairie  creek  and  Lynchburg 
Adams  assisted  in  gathering  the  crop,  receiving  three  pecks  of  corn  per  day  for  his 
wages.  This  was  the  first  corn  raised  in  Jackson  county  and  at  that  time  they 
had  to  go  to  Miami,  in  Carroll  county,  to  have  their  corn  ground.  In  the  summer  of 
1822  Lynchburg  Adams,  with  John  Ross,  camped  under  a  shelving  rock  a  mile  below 
Mize's  ferry,  near  the  old  Burryhill  place.  They  engaged  in  hunting  game  of  every 
description,  which  was  to  be  had  in  abundance.  Deer  could  be  obtained  more  easily 
than  rabbits  at  the  present  time  and  they  often  saw  a  herd  numbering  three  hundred. 


170  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Bee  trees  were  plentiful  and  they  could  gather  from  six  to  twelve  pounds  of  wax  a  day, 
which  sold  for  twenty-five  cents  per  pound.  The  price  of  ammunition  was  so  high  that 
they  would  not  shoot  a  wild  turkey  unless  they  wished  to  have  the  meat  for  a  change  of 
diet,  as  the  prevailing  dish  at  that  time  was  venison.  The  family  lived  almost  alone 
until  emigrants  began  coming  in  1825.  In  that  year  Lynchburg  Adams,  in  company  with 
Isaac  Allen,  cut  logs  and  built  the  first  log  house  and  cultivated  the  first  ground  west  of 
Little  Blue,  near  what  is  now  known  as  the  old  Blue  Bottom  camping  ground.  On  the 
1st  of  November,  1827,  he  married  Elizabeth  Drake,  who  was  born  in  the  old  settled  part 
of  Missouri  and  came  to  Jackson  county  in  1835.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Drake, 
who  was  born  in  Morris  county,  New  Jersey,  in  1764.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  he 
enlisted  in  the  Third  Essex  Regiment  of  the  New  Jersey  state  troops  for  service  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  He  passed  away  in  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  June  19,  1837.  A 
monument  to  his  memory  was  unveiled  by  Mrs.  Catherine  Drake  Plack,  of  Six  Miles,  a 
granddaughter  of  the  minuteman,  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  being  in  charge  of 
the  ceremony.  The  monument  was  obtained  from  the  government  through  the  efforts  of 
Mrs.  Mark  Salisbury  and  the  chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  to 
which  she  belonged. 

Following  the  marriage  of  Lynchburg  Adams  and  Elizabeth  Drake  they  settled 
in  the  Little  Blue  Bottom.  Mr.  Adams  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  resolution,  and 
although  handicapped  by  a  serious  lameness,  he  so  managed  his  business  affairs  that 
through  close  economy  and  industry  he  was  able  to  purchase  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  in  the  Little  Blue  Bottom  and  there,  by  great  exertion  on  his  part,  he 
developed  a  fine  farm  and  comfortable  home,  which  in  1844  was  swept  away  by  the  great 
flood  that  inundated  and  destroyed  his  property.  Undaunted  by  this  misfortune,  he 
began  again  and  once  more  succeeded  in  acquiring  a  good  property  and  home  and  in 
rearing  a  very  worthy  family.  He  passed  away  December  6,  1873,  leaving  an  enviable 
record  of  an  honest  and  conscientious  life.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  pioneers 
who  fought  their  way  upward  through  all  the  adversities  and  hardships  of  frontier  lite. 
During  his  youthful  days  there  were  no  schools  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  he  lived 
and  it  was  late  in  life  before  he  learned  to  read.  This  proved  a  great  disadvantage  to 
him,  but  this  obstacle  he  overcame  as  he  did  all  the  others  which  he  encountered  in 
his  life's  Journey.  At  his  death  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  county  and 
was  at  all  times  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  church. 

His  son,  James  Monroe  Adams,  was  born  November  13,  1833,  a  night  memorable 
because  of  the  falling  stars.  His  birthplace  was  the  old  family  home  in  the  Little 
Blue  Bottom  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Blue  township,  which  eleven  years  later  was 
swept  away  by  the  great  flood.  He  was  reared  amid  the  conditions  and  environment 
of  pioneer  life  but  was  ambitious  to  acquire  a  good  education,  and  his  father,  who 
realized  his  lack  in  that  direction,  encouraged  his  son  in  every  way  to  acquire  knowl- 
edge through  the  teachings  of  the  schools.  He  therefore  mastered  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  Blue  township  and  afterward  entered  the  Chapel  Hill 
College  in  Lafayette  county,  being  for  two  years  a  student  in  that  institution.  Sub- 
sequently he  attended  the  University  of  Missouri  at  Columbia  and  next  entered  the 
Jones  Commercial  College  at  St.  Louis,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  spring  of 
1859. 

Returning  to  Jackson  county,  James  M.  Adams  was  married  April  5,  1859,  to  Miss 
Anna  E.  Nottingham,  a  native  of  this  county.  He  then  began  farming  in  Blue  Bot- 
tom, taking  charge  of  the  farm  which  his  father  occupied  and  which  he  continued  to 
manage  until  his  enlistment  in  the  Confederate  army  in  December,  1861.  At  that 
date  he  accompanied  his  brother  to  southern  Missouri  and  joined  Price's  troops.  He 
was  a  member  of  Colonel  Reeves'  regiment  of  the  First  Missouri  Brigade,  in  which 
he  served  till  after  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  Arkansas.  On  the  day  following  the  battle 
he  became  ill  with  a  severe  case  of  measles  and  was  for  two  weeks  in  the  hospital  at 
Little  Rock.  On  his  recovery  all  communication  with  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi 
had  been  cut  oft  by  the  federal  troops  and  he  returned  home  in  July,  1862,  but  owing 
to  the  feeling  in  Jackson  county  he  could  not  remain  there,  so  he  went  to  Clay  county, 
where  he  taught  school  until  the  close  of  the  war,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  old 
homestead  farm.  In  1866  he  became  interested  in  mercantile  pursuits  at  Pinkhill  and 
in  1868  removed  to  that  place.  He  was  a  partner  of  James  V.  Ewing,  the  business  being 
conducted  under  the  style  of  Ewing  &  Adams.  Later  he  became  associated  in  busi- 
ness at  Pinkhill  with  Isaac  H.  Wood  under  the  firm  style  of  Adams,  Wood  &  Company 
and  they  enjoyed  a  large  trade.  He  afterward  bought  the  interest  of  his  partner  and 
conducted  the  business  alone  until  1871,  when  he  sold  a  half  interest   in  the  store  to 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  171 

Darnall  for  a  farm.  The  store  was  conducted  until  1876,  when  Mr.  Adams  withdrew 
and  thereafter  devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  widely  known  as 
an  active  supporter  of  the  democratic  party  in  Jackson  county  and  devoted  much  of 
his  time  to  the  work  and  contributed  liberally  to  the  support  of  the  cause.  For  many 
years  he  was  the  newspaper  correspondent  of  the  Kansas  City  Times  and  the  Inde- 
pendence Sentinel,  writing  under  the  name  of  Mr.  Comet — a  name  singularly  appro- 
priate from  the  circumstance  of  the  meteoric  display  on  the  night  of  his  birth.  His 
articles  attracted  wide  attention  by  reason  of  his  sound  views  on  many  important 
topics,  reflecting  mature  judgment.  He  was  very  widely  known  and  highly  esteemed. 
Prior  to  the  war  he  was  elected  magistrate.  He  was  a  man  of  avowed  and  honest  convic- 
tions whose  integrity  was  never  questioned  and  his  popularity  rested  upon  a  substan- 
tial basis.' 

In  the  public  schools  of  Kansas  City,  Arthur  N.  Adams  pursued  his  early  educa- 
tion and  afterward  attended  the  University  of  Missouri  at  Columbia,  where  he  was 
graduated  in  June,  1897.  He  had  devoted  three  years  to  the  academic  course  and  then 
entered  the  law  department  of  the  university,  in  which  he  won  his  LL.  B.  degree  in 
1897.  The  same  year  he  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  Jackson  county  bar  and  has 
since  followed  his  profession  in  Kansas  City.  He  gives  close  attention  to  his  pro- 
fessional duties,  is  a  clear  thinker  and  a  logical  reasoner.  He  does  not  attempt  flights 
of  oratory  in  his  court  work  but  is  a  convincing  speaker,  is  thoroughly  at  home  in 
all  departments  of  law  and  is  particularly  expert  in  real  estate  law.  He  early  recog- 
nized the  eternal  principle  that  industry  wins  and  he  has  since  been  a  close  student 
of  his  profession,  thorough  and  painstaking  in  his  preparation  of  cases  and  at  all  times 
most  loyal  to  the  interests  of  his  clients. 

In  1901  Mr.  Adams  was  united  in  marriage  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  to  Miss 
Marie  L.  Eaton,  whose  parents  were  natives  of  Missouri,  her  father  being  a  farmer 
of  this  state  through  his  active  life.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren, Eaton  A.  and  Arthur  N. 

Mr.  Adams  belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge  and  is  very  prominent  in  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  been  a  delegate  to  three  national  conventions,  and  his 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic  party. 


NATHANIEL  LYON  MOFFITT  AND  CHARLES  S.  MOPFITT. 

Nathaniel  Lyon  Moflitt  is  the  president  of  the  Moflitt-Napier  Grain  Company  of 
St.  Louis  and  has  figured  in  connection  with  the  grain  trade  for  thirty  years,  having 
previous  to  the  reorganization  of  the  business  under  the  present  name,  served  as 
vice  president  of  the  Hubbard-Moflitt  Company.  He  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  October 
17,  1862,  his  parents  being  William  G.  and  Mary  (Stewart)  Moflitt.  The  father  was 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  drug  business  in  this  city  at  an  early  day  in  connection 
with  the  Richardson  Drug  Company.  He  was  born  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  being  an 
Ulsterman,  and  before  leaving  that  country  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Stewart,  a 
native  of  the  same  locality.  They  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1854  and  went  to  Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania,  where  they  resided  until  1857  and  then  came  to  St.  Louis,  mak- 
ing the  trip  by  boat  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  rivers.  The  father  was  a 
member  of  the  home  guard  during  the  Civil  war  and  passed  away  in  1869,  respected 
and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him.  In  the  family  were  six  sons  and  a  daughter.  Three 
of  the  sons,  John  S.,  William  G.,  Jr.,  and  Andrew  J.  were  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
drug  business  under  the  name  of  the  Moffitt-West  Drug  Company,  successors  to  the 
Richardson  Drug  Company  with  which  their  father  was  associated  at  an  early  day. 
The  brother,  Samuel  is  now  in  New  York  connected  with  the  American  Ice  Company 
of  which  he  is  a  director  and  also  of  the  Gushing  Bakery  Company,  both  enterprises 
being  the  largest  of  their  kind  in  the  United  States.  The  other  two  sons  of  the  family, 
Nathaniel  L.  and  Charles  S.  have  for  three  decades  been  identified  with  the  grain  trade 
in  St.  Louis. 

Nathaniel  L.  Moffitt  pursued  his  education  in  the  schools  of  this  city  and  after 
his  text  books  were  put  aside  became  associated  with  the  grain  business  in  which  he 
has  made  steady  advancement.  Thoroughly  acquainting  himself  with  every  phase  of 
the  grain  trade  he  eventually  became  one  of  the  officials  of  the  Hubbard-Moffitt  Com- 
pany which  operated  extensively  and  profitably  in  grain  circles  for  many  years.  He 
was  made  the  vice  president  of  this  company  with  Charles  S.  Moffitt  as  treasurer,  and 


172  CEXTEXXIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

R.  C.  Napier  as  secretary.  The  business  was  reorganized,  January  1,  1920,  the  interests 
of  the  Hubbard-Moffitt  Company  being  taken  over  by  the  new  organization  known  as 
the  Moffitt-Napier  Company,  of  which  Nathaniel  Moffitt  became  president.  He  is  thus 
the  directing  head  of  the  new  organization  which  Is  one  of  the  important  factors  in 
the  grain  trade  of  the  city,  controlling  a  business  of  mammoth  proportions.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  connection  with  the  grain  business,  Nathaniel  h.  Moffitt  is  a  director  of 
the  National  Bank  of  Commerce  and  he  is  the  president  of  the  St.  Louis  Grain  Clear- 
ing Company. 

Nattianiel  L.  Moffitt  was  married  on  the  1st  of  October,  1895,  to  Miss  Olive  Boogher, 
a  native  of  St.  Louis  and  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simon  L.  Boogher,  the  former 
being  engaged  in  the  wholesale  hat  business  under  the  firm  style  of  Rainwater-Boogher 
Company.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moffitt  have  become  the  parents  of  four  daughters,  Sophia, 
Josephine,  Olive  and  Natalie.  Nathaniel  L.  Moffitt  belongs  to  various  social  and  busi- 
ness organizations  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Louis  Club,  Noonday  Club 
and  of  the  Bellerive  Country  Club,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  St.  Louis  Grain  Club, 
and  the  Merchants  Exchange.  He  is  also  well  known  in  Masonic  circles  belonging  to 
Tuscan  L,odge,  to  the  Chapter,  the  Knights  Templar  Commandery,  the  Scottish  Rite 
body  and  the  Moolah  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Union  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Charles  S.  Moffitt  who  is  the  treasurer  of  the  Moffitt-Napier  Company  was  born  in 
St.  Louis,  June  3,  1869.  and  had  the  usual  training  and  early  experiences  of  his  brother, 
N.  L.  Moffitt,  and  like  him  became  interested  in  the  grain  business.  He  thoroughly 
mastered  every  phase  of  the  grain  business  and  for  thirty  years  has  operated  in  this 
line,  becoming  the  treasurer  of  the  Hubbard-Moffitt  Company  and  with  the  reorgani- 
zation of  the  business  under  the  name  of  the  Moffitt-Napier  Company  he  continued  to 
act  as  treasurer  of  the  new  organization.  He  is  fond  of  golf  to  which  he  turns  when 
he  can  secure  a  leisure  hour.  He  belongs  to  the  same  social  club  organizations  as  his 
brother  and  like  him  is  a  member  of  the  Union  Methodist  church.  Both  brothers  have 
won  high  standing  in  the  business  world  and  enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  all  who  know 
them,  the  name  of  Moffitt  having  long  been  a  synonym  for  enterprise  in  business  and 
progi'essiveness  and  loyalty  in  citizenship.  N.  L.  Moffitt  and  his  brother  were  both 
active  in  support  of  many  war  measures,  taking  part  in  promoting  the  Red  Cross  and 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  drives  and  also  the  Liberty  bond  sales.  N.  L.  Moffitt  has  always  been  a 
lover  of  literature,  is  the  possessor  of  a  good  library  and  through  his  wide  reading 
has  kept  in  touch  with  the  trend  of  modern  thought  and  progress. 


JOHN  GERDES  LONSDALE. 

Tangible  proof  of  the  notable  executive  ability,  keen  business  discernment  and 
unfaltering  enterprise  of  John  Gerdes  Lonsdale  is  manifest  in  the  continuous  growth 
of  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce  in  St.  Louis  since  he  became  its  president.  He 
was  born  in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  April  4,  1872,  a  son  of  John  and  Ida  (Bosworth) 
Lonsdale,  both  of  whom  died  in  the  yellow  fever  epidemic  which  swept  over 
Memphis  in  the  late  '70s,  so  that  the  son  was  thus  early  left  an  orphan.  In  the 
pursuit  of  his  education  he  attended  St.  John's  Military  Academy  at  Manliu^,  New 
York,  and  also  a  business  college  in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  Early  in  his  business 
career  he  became  identified  with  real  estate  interests  at  Hot  Springs.  Arkansas, 
taking  up  this  work  in  1891.  Soon  afterward  he  entered  the  bond  and  brokerage 
business  as  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  J.  G.  Lonsdale  &  Company,  with  offices 
in  both  New  York  and  Hot  Springs.  Throughout  the  intervening  period  he  has  been 
identified  with  important  commercial  and  financial  projects  in  various  sections  of 
the  country,  attaining  a  position  of  recognized  leadership  as  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  of  the  various  cities  in  which  he  has  operated.  He  became  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Little  Rock,  Hot  Springs  &  Texas  Railroad  Company,  of  which 
he  was  appointed  receiver  in  1896,  following  which  he  reorganized  the  road  under 
the  name  of  the  Little  Rock  &  Hot  Springs  Western  Railroad.  In  1902  he  removed 
to  New  York  to  become  a  partner  in  the  banking  and  brokerage  firm  of  Logan  &; 
Bryan  and  in  1915  he  was  tendered  and  accepted  the  presidency  of  The  National 
Bank  of  Commerce  in  St.  Louis,  an  institution  capitalized  for  ten  million  dollars. 
The  total  resources  of  the  bank  when  he  became  president   were   sixty   million  dol- 


JOHN  G.  LONSDALE 


,fji^-^^ 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  175 

lars  and  the  development  of  Us  busniess  under  his  wise  guidance  is  indicated  in 
the  fact  that  the  resources  today  amount  to  ninety  million  dollars.  Mr.  Lonsdale 
is  also  one  of  the  heavy  stockholders  in  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce  in  St. 
Louis,  has  become  the  owner  of  extensive  railroad  securities  and  has  large  invest- 
ments in  Texas.  Aside  from  his  official  connection  with  the  St.  Louis  bank  he 
is  a  director  of  the  American  Foreign  Banking  Corporation  of  New  York,  is  a  director 
of  the  Foreign  Bond  And  Share  Corporation  of  New  York,  a  director  of  the  Missouri 
Pacific  Railroad,  the  St.  Louis  Southwestern  Railroad  and  of  the  Terminal  Rail- 
road Association  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  likewise  made  co-executor  and  co-trustee 
of  the  estate  of  John  T.  Milliken,  who  died  in  the  early  part  of  1919. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1913,  in  Stamford,  Connecticut,  Mr.  Lonsdale  was  mar- 
.  ried  to  Marie  Allen,  of  Georgia.  By  a  former  marriage  Mr.  Lonsdale  had  a  daugh- 
ter, Aileen,  and  of  the  present  marriage  there  has  been  born  one  son,  John  Gerdes 
Lonsdale,   Jr. 

Mr.  Lonsdale  is  a  member  of  St.  Peter's  Episcopal  church  of  St.  Louis,  of 
which  he  is  a  vestryman.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  is  a  Knight  Templar, 
has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  a  well  known  figure  in  the  leading  club  and  social  organizations 
of  St.  Louis  and  has  membership  in  the  Tennessee  Society  of  St.  Louis,  the  Sunset 
Hill  Country  Club,  the  Racquet  Club,  the  St.  Louis  Club,  the  Bellerive  Country  Club, 
the  Missouri  Athletic  Association  and  the  Automobile  Club.  He  also  remains  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New  York  Club,  the  Lotos  Club,  the  Bankers  Club  and  the  Lawyers 
Club,  all  of  New  York  City  and  belongs  to  the  Tennessee  Society  of  New  York. 
He  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  council  on  foreign  relations,  with  offices  in  New 
York  city.  Cognizant  of  his  own  capabilities  and  powers  and  directing  his  efforts 
along  the  lines  of  successful  accomplishment  in  the  business  world,  at  the  same 
time  he  thoroughly  understands  his  opportunities  and  his  obligations  in  relation 
to  the  public.  To  make  his  native  talents  subserve  the  demands  which  conditions 
of  society  impose  at  the  present  time  is  the  purpose  of  his  lite  and  by  reason  of  the 
mature  judgment  which  characterizes  his  efforts  at  all  times  he  stands  today  as  a 
splendid  representative  of  the  prominent  banker  and  capitalist  to  whom  business 
is  but  one  phase  of  life  and  does  not  exclude  his  active  participation  in  and  support 
of  the  other  vital  interests  which  go  to  make  up  human  activity. 


WARREN   GODDARD. 


Warren  Goddard  is  the  president  of  the  Goddard  Grocery  Company,  controlling 
one  of  the  chief  wholesale  interests  of  St.  Louis.  His  interests  have  ever  been  con- 
ducted along  broad  business  lines  and  his  efforts  have  largely  brought  the  business 
from  a  rather  small  concern  to  the  largest  and  most  prominent  of  its  kind  in  the  city. 
Emerson  has  said:  "An  institution  is  but  the  lengthened  shadow  of  a  man,"  and 
the  wholesale  grocery  house  is  but  indicative  of  the  breadth  of  the  splendid  business 
powers  of  the  man  who  is  now  largely  controlling  its  destiny.  Mr.  Goddard  was  born 
in  Brookline,  Massachusetts,  August  29,  1871.  His  father,  Joseph  W.  Goddard,  also  a 
native  of  that  place,  came  to  St.  Louis  in  1868  and  here  established  on  a  small  scale 
the  wholesale  grocery  business  that  has  since  been  conducted  under  the  Goddard  name. 
He  was  interested  in  the  civic  activities  of  St.  Louis  and  prominent  in  promoting  projects 
that  he  deemed  of  benefit  in  the  welfare  of  the  Missouri  metropolis.  Here  he  passed 
away  in  1913  and  is  still  survived  by  his  widow,  who  in  her  maidenhood  was  Miss  Maria 
Pearson,  a  native  of  Gloucester,  Massachusetts,  and  a  resident  of  St.  Louis  since  1868. 

Liberal  educational  advantages  were  accorded  Warren  Goddard,  who  completed 
his  studies  in  Smith  Academy  but  left  school  when  his  father's  health  failed  to  assume 
the  burden  of  the  conduct  of  the  Goddard  Grocery  Company.  He  had  been  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1890  and  thus  his  school  training  constituted  an  excellent  founda- 
tion upon  which  to  build  success.  His  commercial  training,  too,  was  thorough,  for 
parental  authority  was  not  exercised  to  gain  for  him  an  easy  berth.  On  the  contrary 
he  learned  every  phase  of  the  business  and  won  the  promotions  that  came  to  him  from 
time  to  time.  In  1898  he  was  chosen  to  the  vice  presidency  of  the  company  and  owing 
to  his  father's  continued  ill  health  he  was  virtually  the  head  of  the  house.  Following 
his  father's  death  he  was  elected  to  the  presidency  and  his  associate  oflBcers  in  the  en- 


176  CEXTEXNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

terprise  are  S.  P.  Goddartl,  vice  president,  and  G.  H.  Fox,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Since 
assuming  active  control  Warren  Goddard  lias  done  most  effective  work  in  developing 
the  business  from  a  rather  small  concern  until  its  position  is  that  of  leadership  among 
the  commercial  interests  of  the  kind  in  St.  Louis.  He  has  studied  every  phase  of  the 
trade,  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  market  and  his  carefully  formulated  plans  have 
brought  most  desirable  results.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
St.  Louis. 

On  the  18th  of  November,  1897,  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Goddard  was  married  to  Miss 
Irene  Wallace,  of  St.  Louis,  who  passed  away  in  1900,  leaving  two  children:  Jane 
W.,  twenty  years  of  age,  now  in  school;  and  Mary  Irene,  who  is  attending  Porter's 
School  at  Farmington,  Connecticut.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Goddard  chose  Louise 
Augustine,  daughter  of  G.  H.  Augustine,  of  St.  Louis,  and  they  have  three  children: 
Louise,  nine  years  of  age;  Anne,  aged  seven;  and  Joseph  Warren,  a  little  lad  of  five  sum- 
mers.    The  two  eldest  are  attending  school. 

Mr.  Goddard  is  a  well  known  figure  in  club  circles  of  St.  Louis,  belonging  to  the 
Noonday,  City,  Racquet,  St.  Louis  Country  and  Log  Cabin  Clubs,  also  to  the  Round 
Table  and  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Commercial  Club.  He  is  thus  interested 
in  all  those  things  which  are  of  vital  moment  to  the  city  in  the  line  of  its  development 
and  his  cooperation  is  most  cheerfully,  willingly  and  generously  given  to  every  move- 
ment that  tends  to  advance  the  welfare  and  progress  of  St.  Louis.  He  is  a  man  of  win- 
ning personality,  which,  added  to  his  splendid  business  ability  and  powers  of  organi- 
zation, enabled  him  to  do  excellent  work  in  connection  with  the  Liberty  Loan  and  Red 
Cross  drives  and  other  war  activities.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  district  draft 
board.'  While  he  could  in  no  sense  be  called  an  orator,  he  has  the  ability  to  express 
clearly  and  in  forceful  manner  his  opinions  upon  any  subject  in  which  he  is  interested. 
He  is  greatly  interested  in  the  Provident  Association,  of  which  he  is  a  director,  and 
also  in  the  Community  School  of  Skinker  Heights,  to  which  he  has  been  a  large  con- 
tributor of  both  time  and  money.  This  is  not  due  merely  to  a  sense  of  duty  but 
comes  from  a  genuine  interest  in  his  fellowmen  and  their  welfare,  and  he  recognizes 
the  fact  that  the  real  joy  and  richness  of  life  spring  from  service  for  the  benefit  of 
others. 


CALEB   ANDERSON   RITTER,   M.   D.,  F.   A.   C.   S. 

Caleb  A.  Ritter,  M.  D.,  a  most  able  representative  of  the  medical  profession,  who  for 
the  past  seventeen  years  has  confined  his  attention  to  obstetrics  in  Kansas  City,  was 
born  in  Mooresville,  Indiana,  July  25,  1852,  a  son  of  John  and  Rachael  (Summers)  Rit- 
ter, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Mooresville.  The  father  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  near  Moore.sville.  He  was  killed  by  falling  from  a  tree  when  only  thirty  years 
of  age.    He  came  of  a  family  prominent  in  law,  politics,  medicine  and  religion. 

Caleb  A.  Ritter  spent  his  boyhood  days  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years  upon  the  home 
farm  in  Indiana,  meeting  with  the  usual  experience  of  the  farm  bred  boy,  who  divides 
his  time  between  the  work  of  the  schoolroom,  the  pleasures  of  the  playground  and  the 
tasks  incident  to  the  development  of  the  fields.  He  then  went  to  Valley  Mills,  Indiana, 
where  he  was  again  upon  a  farm  and  in  the  winter  seasoh  attended  the  country  schools, 
to  which  he  made  his  way  through  the  snows  of  winter,  while  the  mud  of  springtime 
rendered  the  roads  almost  equally  impassable.  Later  he  had  the  advantage  of  a  course 
in  the  Stockwell  Academy,  at  Tippecanoe,  near  Lafayette,  Indiana,  working  his  way 
through  the  institution,  in  which  he  spent  two  years  as  a  student,  being  employed 
night  and  morning  in  order  to  earn  the  money  necessary  for  his  tuition.  He  alsb  took 
up  the  profession  of  teaching  which  he  followed  in  the  country  schools  near  Plainfield, 
Indiana,  then  entered  the  Indiana  State  University,  at  Bloomington,  Indiana,  which 
he  attended  to  the  junior  year,  at  which  time  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the  university, 
owing  to  illness  of  members  of  his  family.  Later  he  entered  the  office  of  Dt.  Seph 
Mills,  a  Quaker  physician  and  preacher.  His  intense  and  well  directed  industry  enabled 
him  at  length  to  carry  out  his  plan  of  becoming  a  medical  student  and  he  matriculated 
in  the  Indiana  Medical  College,  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
with  valedictorian  honors  in  1877.  He  afterward  served  as  an  interne  in  the  Indian- 
apolis General  Hospital  for  eighteen  months,  and  thus  gained  broad  and  valuable 
experience.  He  was  then  elected  superintendent  of  the  City  Dispensary  and  filled 
that    position   for   two   years.     His   health   failing,   he   afterward    spent   one    summer    in 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  177 

New  Mexico  and  Colorado  and  on  the  24th  of  December,  1883,  came  to  Kansas  City, 
Missouri,  where  he  entered  upon  general  practice,  having  his  office  tor  twelve  years 
at  Fifth  and  Main  Streets. 

In  1897  he  was  elected  a  trustee  and  professor  of  obstetrics  in  the  University  Medi- 
cal College  and  continued  to  occupy  that  position  until  1907  when  the  school  was  closed. 
He  served  also  as  its  treasurer  for  about  seven  years.  For  three  years  he  filled  the 
office  of  treasurer  of  the  University  Hospital  and  his  work  as  an  official  and  as  a  pro- 
fessor in  these  institutions  contributed  much  to  their  value  as  an  educational  center. 
For  the  past  seventeen  years  he  has  confined  his  practice  to  obstetrics.  He  is  attend- 
ing obstetrician  to  the  Christian  Church  Hospital  and  has  been  for  the  past  fifteen 
years  attending  obstetrician  to  the  Kansas  City  General  Hospital.  He  was  made  senior 
obstetrician  in  1920  to  this  institution.  He  belongs  to  the  Jackson  County  Medical 
Society  and  to  the  Kansas  City  Academy  of  Medicine,  of  which  he  was  president  in 
1905.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Obstetrical  Section  of  the  Jackson  County  Medical 
Society,  of  which  he  was  president  in  1912,  and  is  a  fellow  of  the  American  College 
of  Surgeons.  He  belongs  to  the  Southern  Southwestern,  the  Missouri  State  and  the 
America!!  Medical  Associations;  has  written  and  read  many  papers  before  the  profes- 
sional organizations  to  which  he  belongs;  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  Journal 
of  Obstetrics,  and  is  largely  regarded  as  authority  along  the  line  of  his  specialty.  He 
has  lectured  at  the  University  Training  School  for  Nurses,  and  also  has  been  lecturer 
for  the  Christian  Church  Hospital  in  connection  with  its  course  for  nurses.  In  1890 
he  was  surgeon  of  the  Marmaduke  Guards,  a  local  military  organization,  while  during 
the  World  war  he  was  connected  with  the  medical  department  of  the  Council  of  De- 
fense of  Jackson  county. 

Dr.  Ritter  was  united  in  marriage  in  1896  to  Miss  Mary  Helen  Holland,  of  Kansas 
City,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Susanna  (Smith)  Holland,  the  former  the  founder 
of  the  Holland  Shoe  Company,  one  of  the  oldest  shoe  merchants  of  Kansas  City,  who 
removed  to  western  Missouri  at  an  early  date  arriving  in  1870.  He  was  a  very  prom- 
inent and  influential  citizen,  not  only  through  his  business  connections  but  also  be- 
cause of  his  activity  in  church  and  musical  circles.  He  was  president  of  the  Old  Men's 
Association  and  a  member  of  its  quartet.  He  read  extensively,  keeping  in  touch  with 
the  trend  of  modern  thought  and  progress  and  at  the  same  time  was  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  best  literature  of  all  ages.  He  passed  away  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years 
in  Kansas  City. 

Fraternally,  Dr.  Ritter  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  Kansas  City  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  Orient  Chapter  No.  220,  R.  A.  M.,  and  has  also  attained  the  32d  degree  in  the  Scot- 
tish Rite.  He  belongs  to  the  Phi  Beta  Pi,  a  medical  fraternity,  also  to  the  Phi  Delta 
Theta,  a  literary  fraternity  of  Indiana  University,  and  is  a  member  of  the  James 
Whitcomb  Riley  Club,  the  Comedy  Club,  and  the  Knife  and  Fork  Club.  He  was  born 
of  Quaker  parentage  and  upon  the  family  records  appear  many  names  distinguished 
in  connection  with  the  professions  of  law,  medicine  and  religion  as  well  as  politics. 
Dr.  Ritter  maintains  an  independent  course  in  casting  a  local  ballot,  but  gives  his  sup- 
port to  the  republican  party  upon  national  questions.  He  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Westminster  Congregational  church  of  which  he  was  a  former  officer,  and  are 
people  of  the  highest  worth,  interested  in  all  that  makes  for  the  uplift  of  the  individ- 
ual and  the  betterment  of  the  community  at  large.  Mrs.  Ritter  is  a  member  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and  was  one  of  the  early  kindergarten 
teachers  of  the  city.  Both  are  widely  and  favorably  known  and  their  interests 
and  activities  have  been  a  potent  force  in  advancing  those  projects  which  tend  to 
public  progress  and  improvement. 


HARRY    0.    HIRSCH. 


Harry  O.  Hirsch  is  a  well  known  contractor  of  St.  Louis  who  has  been  particularly 
active  in  the  line  of  structural  iron  work.  In  recent  years,  however,  he  has  engaged  in 
general  contracting  and  many  substantial  structures  of  the  city  stand  as  monuments 
to  his  skill,  enterprise  and  ability.  St.  Louis  numbers  him  among  her  native  sons, 
for  he  was  here  born  April  30,  1874.  His  father,  Frederick  Hirsch,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased, came  to  America  from  Germany  in  1850  and  made  his  way  direct  to  St.  Louis. 
He  was  the  pioneer  in  the  business  of  willow  basket  manufacturing  and  operated  along 
that  line  for  many  years  under  his  own  name.     He  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture 

Vol.  Ill— 12 


178  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

of  willow  furniture  to  some  extent.  During  the  Civil  war  he  paid  two  substitutes  to 
go  to  the  front  and  afterward  himself  became  a  member  of  the  army.  He  married  Anna 
Marie  Faut,  also  of  Germany  lineage,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  in  St.  Louis.  They 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  Harry  O. 
of  this  review  is  the  youngest.  The  others  are:  Emma,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank 
Kennedy,  a  real  estate  salesman;  Bertha,  the  widow  of  Dr.  Frank  Yost;  Minnie,  who 
is  the  wife  of  W.  D.  Hussung,  the  head  of  the  Getz  Roach  Exterminator  Company  of 
St.  Louis;  Lena,  deceased;  Lillie,  the  wife  of  Dave  Anderson;  Frederick  C,  who  is 
with  the  mail  department  of  the  Post-Dispatch  of  St.  Louis;  and  William  A.,  an  archi- 
tect of  St.  Louis. 

Harry  O.  Hirsch  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  and 
began  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade  in  1891.  He  was  in  the  employ  of  Chapman 
&  Thursby,  general  contractors  of  St.  Louis,  for  a  period  of  seven  years  or  until  1898 
when  he  became  connected  with  estimating  structural  iron  work  for  the  Union  Iron 
&  Foundry  Company  of  St.  Louis.  Thus  he  was  employed  until  1903,  when  he  took 
up  structural  iron  work  on  his  own  account  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Kaysing  & 
Hirsch.  In  this  connection  he  continued  until  1904  when  he  began  the  contracting 
business  under  the  name  of  Godfrey  &  Hirsch.  thus  operating  until  1914.  He  then 
established  business  independently  under  his  own  name  and  has  so  continued  to  the 
present  time.  He  has  erected  a  number  of  the  city  zoological  buildings  and  has  done 
considerable  work  for  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad.  His  efliciency  as  a  contractor 
and  builder  is  widely  recognized  and  a  liberal  patronage  has  been  accorded  him. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1910,  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Hirsch  was  married  to  Har- 
riet C.  Luecke,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Luecke,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  grocers  of 
St.  Louis,  conducting  business  at  Grand  and  Lindell  avenues.  He  served  in  the 
Civil  war  as  a  member  of  the  Union  army.  By  a  former  marriage  Mrs.  Hirsch  had 
two  children,  Joseph  J.  and  Lucille,  to  whom  Mr.  Hirsch  has  taken  the  place  of  a 
father,  feeling  for  them  the  close  relationship  of  an  own  parent.  The  son  is  now 
working  with  his  father  in  the  office. 

Politically  Mr.  Hirsch  is  a  democrat.  He  actively  supported  all  war  work  and 
his  progressive  citizenship  is  widely  recognized.  He  is  an  exemplary  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  George  Washington  Lodge  No.  9,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
in  which  he  was  raised  in  March,  1915.  He  was  made  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason  in  1919 
in  the  Missouri  Consistory  and  he  belongs  also  to  Moolah  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine 
in  St.  Louis.  He  has  membership  with  the  Normandie  Golf  Club,  the  Kiwanis  Club 
and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  his  interests  and  activities  are  thus  broad  and 
varied,  showing  him  to  be  a  man  actuated  by  the  spirit  of  modern  times — one  who" 
seeks  enlightenment  and  progressiveness  along  all  lines  leading  to  the  permanent 
development  and  upbuilding  of  the  city. 


MAJOR   HARRY   B.   HAWES. 

Major  Harry  B.  Hawes  was  born  in  Covington,  Kentucky.  November  15,  1869. 
He  is  the  son  of  the  late  Captain  Smith  Nicholas  Hawes;  his  mother  was  Susan 
Elizabeth  Slmrall — both  residents  of  the  state  of  Kentucky.  Major  Hawes  moved 
to  St.  Louis  in  the  year  18  87,  and  has  resided  in  that  city  continuously.  He  grad- 
uated in  the  law  from  Washington  University  in  the  class  of  1896,  representing  his 
graduating  class  as  class  orator.  He  married  Elizabeth  Eppes  Osborne  Robinson, 
at  Goodwood,  St.  Louis  county,  the  home  of  Joseph  Lucas,  November  15,  1899.  Of 
this  union  he  has  two  daughters,  Peyton  Elizabeth  and  Eppes  Bartow.  His  brother, 
Richard  Slmrall  Hawes,  is  the  first  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  St. 
Louis,  and  president  of  the  American  Bankers  Association. 

Major  Hawes  is  a  member  of  all  the  leading  social  and  business  organizations 
of  his  city,  including  in  this  number  the  Racquet  Club,  St.  Louis  Club,  University 
Club,  Noonday  Club,  Missouri  Athletic  Association.  Algonquin  Golf  Club,  Sunset  Hill 
Golf  Club,  Century  Boat  Club,  Mississippi  Valley  Kennel  Club,  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, Merchants'  Exchange,  Real  Estate  Exchange,  Million  Population  Club,  The 
Players,  Cervantes  Society,  Kentucky  Society  and  Missouri  Historical  Society.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  following  legal  organizations:  The  American  Society  on  Inter- 
national Law,  American  Bar  Association,  Missouri  Bar  Association  and  the  St. 
Louis  Bar  Association.     His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Episcopal  church. 


MAJOR  HARRY  B.  HAWES 


th  kiv  fori: 

WIIIC  LIBRARY 


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CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  AIISSOURI  181 

Shortly  aftei-  graduating,  Major  Hawes  represented  the  Merchants'  Exchange  at 
the  Trans-Mississippi  Congress  held  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  in  the  year  1897.  The 
question  of  the  annexation  of  Hawaii,  then  an  independent  republic,  was  debated. 
Major  Hawes'  speech  in  favor  of  annexation  before  the  convention  attracted  the 
attention  of  Loren  A.  Thurston,  minister  from  the  little  republic,  and  he  was  em- 
ployed by  President  Dole  to  represent  that  country  in  the  United  States  during  its 
fight  for  annexation.  He  made  speeches  in  the  various  cities  favoring  annexation 
and  remained  as  a  representative  of  Hawaii  in  this  country  until  its  annexation 
by  the  United  States  in  the  year  189  8,  during  the  Spanish  war.  He  represented 
the  Sons  of  Confederate  Veterans  and  delivered  the  address  of  the  sons  at  the  last 
Confederate  reunion  held  in  Louisville.  Kentucky. 

When  twenty-nine  years  of  age.  Major  Hawes  was  made  president  of  the  St. 
Louis  police  department  by  Governor  Lon  V.  Stephens  and  was  reappointed  to  that 
position  by  his  successor.  Governor  Alexander  M.  Dockery.  When  in  his  thirty- 
fourth  year  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  democratic  nomination  for  governor,  and 
received  practically  the  unanimous  support  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  one 
of  the  chief  organizers  of  the  Lakes-to-the-Gulf  Deep  Waterways  Association;  was 
chairman  of  its  speakers  committee;  and  has  been  actively  identified  with  the  work 
of  Mississippi  river  improvements  ever  since. 

Through  his  position  as  president  of  the  Jefferson  Club  he  became  the  dem- 
ocratic leader  in  St.  Louis  politics,  and  twice  successfully  managed  campaigns  for 
Rolla  Wells  for  mayor.  His  leadership  of  the  local  democracy  extended  over  a 
period  of  ten  years,  during  which  time  the  democratic  party  was  kept  continuously 
in  power.  During  this  period  the  pilgrimage  of  five  hundred  Missourians  to  the 
tomb  of  Thomas  Jefferson  was  made  under  his  direction  and  attracted  national 
attention.  He  was  selected  by  the  democratic  convention  on  the  notification  com- 
mittee for  Judge  Parker  in  1904  and  was  the  Missouri  representative  on  the  notifica- 
tion committee  which  notified  President  Wilson  of  his  re-nomination  at  Shadow 
Lawn,  New  Jersey,  in  the  year  1916. 

Hig"  interest  in  the  development  of  good  roads  in  the  state  of  Missouri  led  to 
his  election  to  the  legislature  in  the  years  1916-1917.  He  was  made  chairman 
of  the  goods  roads  committee  and  introduced  seven  road  laws  which  re-wrote  the 
entire  road  laws  of  Missouri — the  first  time  it  had  been  done  since  1873.  The  present 
state  highway  law  of  Missouri  was  named  after  him — the  Hawes  law.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Federated  Roads  Council. 

For  many  years  Major  Hawes  was  president  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  Kennel 
Club  and  a  delegate  to  the  American  Kennel  Club.  His  hobby  has  been  the  raising 
of  dogs.  Being  invited  to  address  the  State  University  at  Columbia  and  permitted 
to  select  his  own  subject,  he  delivered  an  address  on  the  subject  of  "Dogs"  which 
was  printed  throughout  the  United  States  and  put  in  pamphlet  form  and  re-printed 
in  England,  Canada,  Australia  and  Spain.  Dog  breeders  and  fanciers  all  over  the 
United  States  consult  and  advise  with  him  about  the  breeding  and  training  of  dogs. 

The  Hawes  law  prohibiting  the  publication  and  circulation  of  anonymous 
political  attacks  has  been  copied  by  many  of  the  other  states  of  the  Union.  A 
Memorial  address,  delivered  at  Christ  Church  Cathedral  in  St.  Louis,  was  given 
wide  publicity  and  attracted  favorable  comment,  as  did  his  address  on  Labor  Day 
to  the  labor  unions  of  St.  Louis,  in  which  he  counseled  conciliation  and  the  settle- 
ment of  disputes  by  American  methods. 

In  July,  1914,  while  visiting  Ireland,  the  great  European  war  broke  out.  He 
went  to  London  and  there  participated  in  the  formation  of  the  American  committee, 
remaining  in  England  for  a  period  of  two  months  watching  and  studying  the  devel- 
opment of  the  war.  Returning  home,  he  delivered  several  notable  addresses  on  the 
subject  of  International  Law,  defending  the  right  of  neutral  citizens  in  the  time 
of  war  to  lend  money  and  furnish  arms  to  the  belligerents.  This  was  in  answer 
to  the  German  propaganda  which  in  that  year  was  spreading  through  the  United 
States.     The  chief  one  of  these  articles  was  printed  in  the  Congressional  Record. 

Returning  to  Europe  in  November,  1917,  he  spent  seven  and  one-half  months 
in  England,  France,  Switzerland  and  Spain.  Upon  his  return  to  the  United  States 
he  was  given  the  rank  of  captain  in  the  psychologic  section  of  the  military  intelligence 
department  and  assigned  to  service  with  the  general  staff.  In  November,  1918,  he 
was  assigned  for  military  intelligence  work  to  France  and  Spain  and  subsequently 
became  the  assistant  military  attache  assigned  to  the  United  States  embassy  at 
Madrid.     He  has  established  at  his  home  in  the  City  of  St.  Louis  a  complete  Spanish 


182  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

room  of  the  16th  century  period  and  furnished  it  with  tiles,  paintings,  furniture 
and  fittings  brought  from  Spain.  He  has  the  largest  collection  of  the  works  of 
Cervantes  in  the  United  States  and  has  specialized  in  the  study  of  the  master's 
great   work — Don   Quixote. 

Upon  resigning  from  the  army  Major  Hawes  resumed  the  active  practice  of 
law,  in  which  profession  he  has  been  continuously  and  successfully  occupied,  inter- 
rupted only  by  his  interest  in  public  affairs.  An  address  delivered  by  him  on  the 
subject  of  the  League  of  Nations  was  inserted  in  the  Congressional  Record  and 
two   hundred  thousand   copies   distributed   through   the   various   states. 

Major  Hawes'  country  home  "Faircroft,"  in  St.  Louis  county,  is  the  gathering 
place  of  many  brilliant  minds,  and  he  has  given  personal  attention  to  gardening 
and  the  breeding  of  fancy  live  stock.  The  ancestors  of  both  Major  and  Mrs.  Hawes 
originally  came  from  Virginia.  He  is  descended  from  the  Nicholas,  Carter  and  Gary 
families  of  that  state. 

George  Nicholas  is  described  by  Senator  Beveridgo  as  follows:  "George 
Nicholas  had  been  a  brave,  brilliant  soldier  and  was  one  of  the  ablest  and  best- 
equipped  lawyers  in  the  state.  He  was  utterly  fearless,  whether  in  battle  on  the 
field  or  in  debate  on  the  floor.  His  family  and  connections  were  powerful.  In  argu- 
ment and  reasoning  he  was  the  equal  if  not  the  superior  of  Madison  himself;  and 
his  grim  personality  made  the  meek  one  of  Madison  seem  tender  in  comparison. 
Nothing  could  disconcert  him,  nothing  daunt  his  cold  courage.  He  probably  was 
the  only  man  in  the  convention  whom  Henry  feared." 

At  this  same  period  in  our  history,  William  B.  Giles,  an  ancestor  of  his  wife's, 
was  a  conspicuous  figure  and  the  spokesman  of  Thomas  Jefferson  in  the  great 
debates  and  fights  with  Alexander  Hamilton.  Nicholasville  and  Nicholas  county, 
Kentucky,  are  named  after  his  grandfather  Nicholas,  and  Hawesville,  in  Davies 
county,  Kentucky,  was  the  early  settlement  of  the  family  in  that  state.  His  grand- 
father, Richard  Hawes,  was  the  Confederate  governor  of  Kentucky,  represented  the 
Ashland  district  in  congress,  was  a  captain  in  the  Black  Hawk  war  and  was  judge 
upon  the  bench  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  his  eightieth  year. 

His  father  was  Captain  Smith  Nicholas  Hawes,  who  became  a  lieutenant  in 
a  Confederate  company  at  the  age  of  seventeen;  later  was  made  captain  of  Missouri 
Confederate  troops,  was  twice  wounded  and  served  during  the  entire  four  years  of 
the  war.  His  father's  brother.  General  Morrison  Hawes,  commanded  the  Texas 
Division  of  the  Confederate  forces.  Two  of  his  father's  brothers  were  killed  during 
the  war.  His  wife's  father  and  his  brothers,  and  his  mother's  brothers  were  all 
in  the  Confederate  army.  On  his  father's  side  Major  Hawes  is  descended  from  the 
Bartow  family,  originally  Huguenot  settlers  in  Georgia.  His  wife's  family  are  Vir- 
ginians, related  to  the  Eppes,  Washington,  Robinson,  Branch  and  Giles  families  of 
that  state.  The  English  coat-of-arms  of  the  Hawes  family  contains  the  motto: 
"Know  thyself." 


WILLIAM   SHERMAN  THOMAS. 

Starting  out  to  provide  for  his  own  support  in  the  position  of  Assistant  Post- 
master in  the  little  town  of  Pleasant  Hill,  Illinois,  William  Sherman  Thomas  is 
today  the  Vice  President  and  Treasurer  of  the  Wagner  Electric  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany of  St.  Louis,  which  has  four  thousand  employes.  Not  by  leaps  and  bounds  has 
he  reached  his  present  dominant  position  in  commercial  circles,  but  by  a  steady 
progression  that  has  followed  the  prompt  and  efficient  discharge  of  every  duty  that 
has  devolved  upon  him,  resulting  in  the  constant  development  and  increase  of  his 
powers.  He  was  born  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Pike  County.  Illinois,  August  21,  1867,  and  is 
a  son  of  Dr.  John  A.  and  Sophia  (Blair)  Thomas.  Mr.  Thomas'  eldest  brother,  Albert 
J.,  died  in  1918,  and  his  youngest  brother,  Clarence  C,  born  in  1876,  is  Cashier  of  the 
Citizens  State  Bank  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Illinois. 

The  Thomas  family,  of  Welsh  origin,  was  founded  in  Virginia  in  1690.  The 
great-grandfather  of  Mr.  Thomas  of  this  review  was  with  the  Virginia  troops  and 
fought  throughout  the  Revolutionary  War,  being  with  the  forces  under  General 
Washington  at  the  time  of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.  Dr.  John  A. 
Thomas,  father  of  William  S.  Thomas,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1818  and  in  1836 
removed  to  Missouri,  where  he  taught  school  and  studied  medicine,  being  graduated 
from  the  McDowell  Medical  College  of  St.  Louis.     In  1845   he  removed  to  Pleasant 


WILLIAM   S.  THOMAS 


THI  KIW  TOM  ~' 
PDBUCLli5RA.RY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  183 

Hill,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  to  the  time  of  his 
death  which  occurred  February  25.  1888.  His  wife  was  born  in  1836.  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Illinois  Women's  College  at  Jacksonville  in  1858  and  in  January, 
1863,  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  John  A.  Thomas.  Following  the  demise  of  her  hus- 
band, she  became  a  resident  of  St.  Louis  where  she  passed  away  November  9,  1909, 
her  remains  being  taken  back  for  interment  by  the  side  of  her  husband  at  Pleasant 
Hill. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  William  S.  Thomas  pursued  his  early 
education,  which  was  supplemented  by  study  in  the  Illinois  State  Normal  University 
at  the  town  of  Normal.  After  filling  the  position  of  Assistant  Postmaster  at  Pleasant 
Hill,  for  a  time  he  went  south  to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  became  a  Teller  in  the 
Maverick  Bank.  Watching  for  an  opportunity  to  conduct  business  on  his  own 
account,  he  eventually  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Thomas  &  Shultz,  grain 
dealers,  and  also  entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother  in  the  conduct  of  a 
general  merchandise  store,  both  of  these  interests  being  conducted  at  Pleasant  Hill, 
Illinois.  His  identification  with  St.  Louis  dates  from  1894,  at  which  time  he  organ- 
ized the  Aroma  Coffee  &  Spice  Company,  becoming  its  first  President.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  successfully  conducted  the  business  and  in  1901  became  the  General 
Manager  of  the  D.  G.  Evans  Company,  importers  of  coffees  and  teas.  In  1907  he 
was  elected  Treasurer  of  the  Wagner  Electric  Manufacturing  Company  and  later  to 
the  duties  of  that  office  were  added  those  of  the  vice  presidency  and  he  has  since 
served  in  a  dual  position.  Something  of  the  volume  of  the  business  conducted  by 
the  Wagner  Electric  Manufacturing  Company  is  Indicated  in  the  fact  that  its 
employes  number  four  thousand.  Its  plant  is  most  thoroughly  equipped  with  the 
latest  improved  machinery  and  the  work  has  been  carefully  systematized.  At  its 
head  are  men  of  splendid  executive  ability  whose  constructive  efforts  and  adminis- 
trative direction  have  led  to  the  constant  development  and  enlargement  of  the  busi- 
ness, until  it  is  today  not  only  one  of  the  chief  productive  industries  of  St.  Louis 
but  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  as  well.  The  Company  maintains  branch  offices,  selling 
force  and  warehouses  in  all  the  leading  cities  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  and 
is  rapidly  organizing  sales  agencies  in  the  leading  foreign  countries.  The  Wagner 
Electric  Manufacturing  Company  is  the  originator  of  the  single-phase  motor  busi- 
ness, and  the  pioneer  in  the  development  of  large  power  transformers,  being  the 
first  company  to  build  these  transformers  and  install  them  at  Niagara  Falls.  In  the 
automobile  field  the  Company  is  one  of  the  leading  distributors  of-  starting  and 
lighting  devices,  and  was  one  of  the  first  in  St.  Louis  to  establish  a  mutual  aid 
society  to  care  for  sick  and  injured  employes,  and  also  the  first  to  furnish  free  group 
life  insurance  for  its  employes. 

On  the  20th  of  October,  1892,  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  Mr.  Thomas  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Frances  R.  Moore,  a  daughter  of  William  R.  and  Margaret 
Moore,  both  of  whom  have  now  passed  away.  Her  father,  who  was  born  in  Mis- 
souri, November  20,  1841,  died  in  St.  Louis,  July  5,  1916,  and  the  mother,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  1842,  departed  this  life  September  23,  IS'lS.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thomas  were  born  four  sons.  The  eldest,  Maurice  L.  Thomas,  was  born  at  Pleasant 
Hill,  Illinois,  in  1893,  and  was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Illinois  in  the  class 
of  June,  1916,  having  completed  a  course  in  electrical  engineering.  During  his 
college  days  he  became  a  member  of  the  Phi  Delta  Theta  Fraternity.  Returning 
to  his  home,  he  entered. the  works  of  the  Wagner  Electric  Manufacturing  Company, 
and  his  rapidly  developing  efficiency  brought  him  to  the  position  of  Production 
Superintendent  in  the  Large  Motor  Dei)artment.  He  was  thus  serving  when  death 
called  him  on  the  4th  of  August,  1919,  the  news  of  his  demise  bringing  a  sense  of 
deep  personal  bereavement  to  all  who  knew  him,  for  he  was  most  popular  with  his 
associates  in  social  and  business  circles.  One  writing  of  him  at  the  time  ot  his 
death  said:  "He  was  always  active  in  athletics,  and  was  ever  a  tower  of  strength  in 
every  field  to  which  he  turned  his  energies.  Ever  faithful,  modest,  earnest  and 
dependable,  he  fully  earned  the  sincere  respect  and  admiration  of  all.  We  may  truly 
say  of  him — 

'This  was  a  man; 

I  shall  not  look  upon  his  like  again.'  " 

Maurice  is  buried  in  the  family  lot  in  Bellefontaine  Cemetery. 

The  second  son,  Ralph  R.  Thomas,  born  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Illinois,  December  26, 
1894,  was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Illinois  with  the  class  of  June,   1916, 


184  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

having  completed  an  electrical  engineering  course,  the  degree  of  B.  S.  being  then 
conferred  upon  him.  In  his  college  days  he  was  editor  of  the  Technograph,  an 
engineering  magazine,  was  a  Major  in  the  Student  Brigade  and  won  preliminary 
honors.  He  also  became  a  member  of  the  Phi  Delta  Theta  Fraternity.  Later  he 
pursued  a  special  course  at  the  University  of  Oxford,  England.  He  attended  the 
First  Officers  Training  Camp  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  in  1917,  and  was  made  a  First 
Lieutenant  with  the  Eighty-ninth  Division,  A.  E.  F.,  and  spent  fourteen  months 
with  the  American  Army  in  France,  being  with  the  Eighty-ninth  Division  in  their 
important  engagements  on  the  eastern  battlefields  in  France.  Since  his  retirement 
from  the  army,  he  has  been  employed  as  a  salesman  by  the  William  R.  Compton 
Investment  Company. 

The  third  son,  Nelson  R.  Thomas,  born  February  14,  1898,  in  St.  Louis,  was 
graduated  from  the  School  of  Commerce  of  the  University  of  Illinois  with  the  degree 
of  B.  S.  in  June,  1919,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Phi  Delta  TheU  Fraternity.  He  was 
Chairman  of  the  Students  Union  and  a  Captain  in  the  Student  Brigade,  as  well  as 
leader  of  the  Mandolin  Club  during  his  college  days.  He  enlisted  in  the  Navy  in  1918 
and  attended  the  Ensign  School  at  the  Great  Lakes  Naval  Station.  He  is  now  in 
the  St.  Louis  office  of  Goldman,  Sachs  &  Co.  of  New  York,  bonds  and  investments. 

The  fourth  son,  Dwight  D.  Thomas,  born  August  18,  1902,  in  St.  Louis,  is  a 
student  at  the  University  of  Illinois  and  a  member  of  the  Phi  Delta  Theta  Fraternity. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Thomas  is  a  Republican,  but  not  an  active  party  worker. 
He  and  his  family  have  membership  in  the  Second  Baptist  Church  and  he  belong^ 
to  Tuscan  Lodge,  No.  360,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Missouri  Consistory,  No.  1,  A.  A.  S.  R. 
He  is  also  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pytliias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  and 
belongs  to  the  Noonday,  Bellerive,  Country,  and  City  Clubs.  Few  men  are  more 
prominent  or  more  widely  known  in  the  business  circles  of  St.  Louis  than  Mr.  Thomas, 
and  his  prosperity  is  well  deserved,  as  in  him  are  embraced  the  characteristics  of 
an  unbending  integrity,  unabating  energy  and  industry  that  never  flags.  He  is  also 
public  spirited,  giving  his  cooperation  to  every  movement  which  tends  to  promote 
the  material,  intellectual  and  moral  welfare  of  the  community. 


JOHN  T.  SMITH. 


John  T.  Smith,  filling  the  office  of  city  comptroller  of  Kansas  City,  is  a  man  who 
has  largely  devoted  his  life  to  the  service  and  benefit  of  others  and  the  results 
achieved  through  his  labors  have  been  far-reaching  and  effective.  He  was  born  in 
St.  Louis,  March  25,  1857,  his  parents  being  Patrick  J.  and  Bridget  (Sullivan)  Smith, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ireland.  In  early  life  they  came  to  the  new  world 
and  met  and  were  married  in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  the  wedding  being  celebrated 
in  1854.  There  they  remained  for  a  short  time  and  afterwards  made  their  way 
northward  to  St.  Louis,  where  the  father  engaged  in  business. 

John  T.  Smith  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  and  when 
his  textbooks  were  put  aside  became  connected  with  the  cigar-manufacturing  busi- 
ness, which  he  followed  for  twenty-two  years  in  Kansas  City,  during  which  time  he 
became  identified  with  the  labor  organization  and  for  twenty-one  years  has  been 
secretary  of  the  Central  Labor  Organization  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor. 
For  an  equal  period  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  national  organization  and  repre- 
sentative in  that  body  for  the  Central  organization,  attending  all  conventions  for 
the  past  sixteen  years.  One  who  has  long  known  him  said:  "He  is  a  man  of  fine 
business  ability.  His  outstanding  characteristic  is  his  inflexible  integrity.  He  is 
also  a  master  of  detail.  He  has  been  president,  secretary  and  the  heart  and  soul 
of  the  local  trade  union  movement  in  Kansas  City,  has  been  a  delegate  to  all  state 
and  national  conventions  and  has  served  on  legislative  committees,  fighting  for  the 
passage  of  just  laws  in  city,  state  and  nation.  He  is  a  deep  student  of  the  funda- 
mental principles  underlying  trade  unions  and  has  sacrificially  devoted  his  life  to 
that  work.  He  is  an  orator  of  ability.  His  power  over  his  audiences  is  founded 
first  upon  his  sincerity  and  then  upon  his  terseness  of  expression.  He  has  a  most 
convincing  manner,  and  while  he  speaks  with  deep  feeling,  there  is  a  strain  of 
logic  always  present,  which  makes  him  a  most  convincing  speaker." 

In  October,  1881,  Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  Kansas  City  to  Miss  Ellie  Martin, 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  185 

whose  parents  were  natives  of  Ireland.  They  have  six  children:  John,  William  J.. 
Mamie,  Anastasia,  Amanda  and  Roy  P.  John  and  William  were  both  soldiers  of  the 
World  war,  connected  with  the  infantry  branch,  and  saw  real  service  on  the  battle- 
fields of  Prance.  During  the  war  period  Mr.  Smith  served  as  a  member  of  the 
department  of  labor  under  Secretary  Wilson,  in  charge  of  the  speakers'  bureau  and 
the  mediation  and  conciliation  department  of  the  United  States  labor  bureau.  He 
had  to  do  with  all  labor  interests  in  the  shipyards,  docks,  navy  and  munition  plants. 
The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Catholic  church  and  Mr.  Smith  is 
identified  with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, also  with  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat,  has  been  a 
delegate  to  the  conventions  of  the  party  and  has  fought  the  fight  for  a  platform 
based  upon  genuine  democracy  and  with  regard  to  the  deeper  and  more  vital  prin- 
ciples that  make  for  the  advancement  of  the  state  and  nation  along  social  and 
economic  lines.  It  was  upon  the  democratic  ticket  that  he  was  elected  to  the  office 
which  he  now  holds,  that  of  city  comptroller. 

Mr.  Smith's  activities  have  taken  in  the  whole  range  of  philanthropy,  for  he 
has  ever  manifested  a  4ively  interest  in  all  charitable  movements  in  Kansas  City, 
especially  as  affecting  the  working  man.  He  has  published  many  pamphlets  and 
contributed  much  to  the  discussion  of  social  and  economic  questions,  especially  in 
the  labor  press  of  the  country.  He  has  been  successful  in  the  highest  and  broadest 
sense  and  has  the  respect  and  warm  devotion  of  all  who  know  him.  He  enjoys  the 
abiding  love  of  the  members  of  labor  organizations,  which  feeling  is  based  upon 
the  great  sacrifices  he  has  made  for  the  cause,  and  his  intelligent  and  unflagging 
fight  to  uphold  Its  principles  and  have  them  expressed  in  action  by  the  mass  of  the 
people.  No  one  has  ever  doubted  the  honesty  of  his  convictions  nor  questioned  his 
devotion  to  any  cause  which  he  espouses. 


ROCKWELL  M.   MILLIGAN. 

Rockwell  M.  Milligan,  commissioner  of  school  buildings  in  St.  Louis,  was  born 
in  Centerville,  Ontario,  Canada,  January  10,  1868.  His  father,  Henry  G.  Milligan, 
was  also  a  native  of  Centerville  and  passed  away  in  St.  Louis  in  1916.  The  Milli- 
gans  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Centerville,  Ontario,  having  removed  to  that 
place  from  northern  New  York  immediately  after  the  War  of  1812,  in  which  the 
paternal  grandfather  of  Rockwell  M.  Milligan  served  with  great  credit.  The  family 
comes  from  England  and  was  established  in  the  state  of  New  York  prior  to  the 
Revolutionary  war.  The  piother  of  Rockwell  M.  Milligan  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Harriet  Clancy  and  she,  too,  was  born  in  Centerville,  Ontario,  while  her  death 
occurred  in  1907,  at  Enterprise,  Ontario,  Canada.  Her  father  was  Cornelius  Clancy, 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Centerville,  and  she  came  of  a  family  of  French  and  Irish 
descent.     Mrs.  Milligan  was  the  youngest  of  a  very  large  family. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  Rockwell  M.  Milligan  pursued  his  early 
education  and  afterward  attended  high  school  at  Napanee,  Ontario,  while  later  he 
completed  his  high  school  course  at  Wichita,  Kansas,  as  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1885.  He  afterward  studied  at  Lewis  Academy,  Wichita,  and  then  entered  Gar- 
field University  at  that  place,  continuing  his  studies  until  1888  when  the  univer- 
sity was  sold  to  the  Friends,  to  be  conducted  as  a  Theological  Seminary  and  was 
temporarily  closed.  Mr.  Milligan  passed  his  student  days  with  a  view  of  ultimately 
becoming  an  architect  and  in  furtherance  of  this  plan  he  went  to  Denver,  Colorado, 
where  he  remained  for  about  a  year  and  a  half  in  the  office  of  a  leading  architect 
of  that  city.  Later  he  came  to  St.  Louis  where  he  arrived  August  10,  1890.  He 
worked  for  three  years  under  the  guidance  and  training  of  Isaac  S.  Taylor,  after- 
ward a  director  of  works  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition,  and  on  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  became  identified  with  George  R.  Mann,  the  architect  of  the 
new  City  Hall,  in  whose  employ  he  continued  until  March,  1897.  The  new  school 
law  went  into  effect  when  he  became  connected  with  the  school  board  of  St.  Louis 
as  chief  draftsman,  holding  that  position  for  a  year  and  a  half.  Subsequently  he 
engaged  in  private  practice  as  an  architect  and  thus  continued  until  1914.  For 
about  twelve  years  he  was  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Milligan  &  Wray,  which 
was  accorded  a  most  liberal  patronage.  Mr.  Milligan  became  prominently  known 
as  a  builder  of  hospitals  and  he  planned  and  supervised  the  erection   of  probably 


186  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

more  hospital  buildings  than  any  other  architect  in  the  country,  his  work  extend- 
ing practically  throughout  the  entire  UnJted  States.  He  has  erected  from  thirty- 
five  to  forty  of  the  large  and  prominent  hospitals  of  the  country  including  the  Frisco 
Railway  Hospital,  the  City  Insane  Asylum  and  the  St.  Vincent's  Institution  tor  the 
Insane  at  St.  Louis,  also  the  Los  Angeles  (California)  Sanitarium,  "St.  Vincent's 
Hospital  at  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  and  the  Hotel  Dieu,  at  El  Paso,  Texas.  He 
was  also  the  architect  of  the  building  for  the  St.  Louis  Transfer  Company  and  also 
the  Wall  Building,  at  Olive  and  Vandeventer  Streets.  On  the  10th  of  October, 
1914,  he  was  elected  to  his  present  position,  that  of  commissioner  of  public  school 
buildings,  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis.  During  his  incumbency  covering  the  intervening 
years  to  the  present  time — 19  20 — he  has  built  many  of  the  fine  school  buildings 
of  which  St.  Louis  is  so  justly  proud.  These  include  the  Bates,  Hamilton,  George 
Dewey.  Samuel  Cupples.  Richard  M.  Scruggs,  John  Roe,  Isaac  M.  Mason,  and  Susan 
R.  Buder  school  buildings,  while  at  the  present  time  he  is  engaged  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  William  Stix  school. 

On  the  6th  of  November.  1914.  at  Buffalo,  New  York.  Mr.  Jlilligan  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Maude  Marquardt.  a  daughter  of  August  Marquardt,  manager  at  Mon- 
treal, Canada,  for  the  N.  K.  Fairbanks  Company.  Mrs.  Milligan  was  born  in  Chicago 
and  was  educated  at  Monti-eal.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of 
two  sons  and  two  daughters — Janice  Y..  Audrey  L..  Trevor  R.  and  Raiford  M. 

Politically  Mr.  Milligan  is  a  republican  where  national  questions  and  issues 
are  involved,  but  otherwise  casts  an  independent  ballot.  His  religious  faith  is  that 
of  the  Episcopal  church  and  he  attends  the  services  at  St.  Peters.  He  is  a  Mason 
belonging  to  Anchor  Lodge,  No.  443,  of  which  he  is  a  past  master;  Oriental  Chapter 
No.  78,  R.  A.  M.;  St.  Aldemar  Commandery.  No.  !«.  K.  T.;  and  St.  Louis  Consis- 
tory, in  which  he  has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite.  Mr. 
Milligan  belongs  to  the  Century  Boat  Club;  to  the  National  Association  of  Public 
School  Building  Officials,  of  which  he  was  the  first  president  and  of  which  he  is  now 
secretary;  to  the  American  Society  of  Heating  and  Ventilating  Engineers  and 
was  the  organizer  of  the  St.  Louis  Architectural  Club.  This  club  was  designed 
as  a  school  of  architecture  and  drafting  and  is  now  affiliated  with  the  Washington 
University.  He  was  an  instructor  in  the  school  for  several  years,  was  president 
for  several  terms  and  was  also  its  secretary.  His  work  has  been  of  a  most  im- 
portant character.  He  has  contributed  much  to  the  public  good  as  an  architect 
and  designer,  and  there  is  no  phase  of  the  business  with  which  he  is  not  thoroughly 
familiar,  having  acquainted  himself  with  all  the  practical  work  as  well  as  the 
scientific  principles  which  underlie  his  chosen  vocation.  He  also  holds  membership 
in  the  National  Association  of  School  Accotlntiug  Officers. 


HON.  PHILIP  SHELLEY  BROWN,  Sk. 

Hon.  Philip  Shelley  Brown,  for  many  years  a  distinguished  member  of  the  Kansas 
City  bar,  was  born  in  Bedford  county,  Pennsylvania,  October  14,  1833.  His  father,  Henry 
Brown,  was  a  descendant  of  the  JIaryland  family  of  that  name,  and  his  mother  who 
in  her  maidenhood  was  Miss  Shelley,  was  a  representative  of  the  old  Shelley  and  Smith 
families,  having  among  her  ancestors  some  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Philadelphia.  The 
father  died  early  in  1834  and  the  mother  taking  young  Philip  and  his  three  brothers, 
removed  to  her  father's  farm  in  Huntington  (now  Blair)  county,  Pennsylvania. 

There  Philip  S.  Brown  divided  his  time  between  farm  work  and  schoolroom  duties 
to  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  he  entered  the  academy  of  the  Rev.  John  H.  McKin- 
ney  at  Hollidaysburg,  Pennsylvania.  His  stay  there  was  prolonged  for  three  years,  due 
solely  to  his  own  exertions,  for  during  vacation  periods,  by  his  services  as  deputy  in 
the  sheriff's  office  of  that  county,  he  was  enabled  to  meet  the  necessary  expenses  for  tui- 
tion. Leaving  the  academy  in  1852,  Mr.  Brown  during  the  following  year  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Cambria  Iron  Company,  working  through  the  day  and  continuing  his 
studies  at  night.  In  1855  he  resigned  his  position  and  removed  to  Davenport,  Iowa, 
where  he  took  up  the  study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1857. 

In  the  succeeding  year  Mr.  Brown  removed  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  then  a  small 
town,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  retaining  for  years  a  most  prominent 
position  at  the  bar.    As  attorney  for  and  director  of  the  then  constructing  Kansas  City, 


PHILIP  S.  BROWN,  SR. 


rni  Kiw  jr-^j 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  189 

Galveston  &  Lake  Superior  Railroad — now  a  part  of  the  main  line  of  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quincy  system — during  those  early  years  of  the  frontier  town's  precarious 
existence,  he  displayed  a  remarkable  faith  in  the  city  of  his  adoption;  and  by  his  sound 
counsel  and  advice  the  growth  and  advancement  of  the  city  were  largely  promoted.  While 
a  member  of  the  city  council  in  1866  he  drew  the  right-of-way  contract  and  made  the 
legal  adjustments  for  the  entrance  into  Kansas  City  of  the  Pacific  Railroad,  which  Is 
now  the  main  entrance  into  Kansas  City  of  that  great  corporation,  the  Missouri  Pacific 
Railroad. 

In  the  practice  of  law  Mr.  Brown  became  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Brown  & 
Case,  his  associate  being  Ermine  Case,  Jr.,  with  whom  he  entered  into  partnership  rela- 
tions in  1859.  In  1872  they  were  joined  by  Edward  M.  Wright,  under  the  firm  style 
of  Brown,  Case  &  Wright,  an  association  that  was  maintained  until  1882.  The  firm  ot 
Brown,  Chapman  &  Brown  was  then  organized,  the  partners  being  P.  S.  Brown,  Ben- 
jamin H.  Chapman  and  William  H.  Brown,  the  last  named  being  a  son  ot  the  senior  part- 
ner. This  association  was  formed  in  1884  and  in  1899  the  firm  became  Brown,  Harding  & 
Brown,  the  new  member  thereof  being  John  T.  Harding.  After  many  years  ot  arduous 
application,  his  marked  ability  keeping  him  at  the  front  of  his  profession  at  all  times, 
finding  his  health  impaired,  he  retired  from  practice  in  1890  and  directed  his  efforts 
to  the  development  of  his  large  realty  interests.  His  name  remained  as  that  ot 
senior   partner  until    1908. 

On  the  3rd  of  November,  1858,  Mr.  Brown  was  married  ta  Miss  Julia  A.  Shaffer, 
the  eldest  daughter  of  William  Shaffer,  ot  Blair  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  to  them 
were  born  nine  children,  of  whom  five  are  living.  Julia  Augusta,  who  was  born  Novem- 
ber 3,  1859,  and  became  the  wife  ot  Edward  B.  Shillito  on  the  2d  of  February,  1881; 
Lula  Katherine,  whose  birth  occurred  August  12.  1862,  and  who  on  the  17th  of  June, 
1885,  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Joseph  Curd;  William  Harrison,  born  February  26, 
1864,  who  wedded  Caroline  Santord  Miller  on  the  11th  ot  June,  1896,  and  passed  away 
April  6,  1916;  Philip  Sheridan,  who  was  born  December  25,  1866,  and  who  married  Edith 
Wolf  on  the  13th  of  August,  1908;  Ralph  J.,  whose  natal  day  was  March  8,  1874;  and 
Sara  Lela,  born  March  8,  1874,  who  became  the  wife  of  Allan  J.  Epperson  on  the  26th  of 
April,  1899.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  in  Kansas  City,  January  6,  1908.  Early 
allying  himself  with  the  Presbyterian  church,  Mr.  Brown  has  aided  and  upbuilded  many 
ot  its  projects  and  has  ever  been  among  the  first  to  advance  the  social  and  religious  wel- 
fare and  the  prosperity  and  progress  ot  his  community. 


JOHN  HENRY  SMITH. 


John  Henry  Smith,  president  of  the  Kansas  City  Title  &  Trust  Company,  which 
was  organized  in  1915,  was  born  in  Heyworth,  Illinois,  a  son  ot  I.  L.  Smith,  a  native 
of  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was  tor  a  long  period  engaged  in  the 
abstract  and  title  business  in  Iowa.  He  served  during  the  Civil  war,  being  captain  of 
a  company  ot  volunteers  connected  with  a  Pennsylvania  regiment.  He  was  a  Knights 
Templar  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  a  man  whose  sterling  worth 
ot  character  commanded  tor  him  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  He 
married  Harriet  King,  who  was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  both  have 
passed  away.    They  had  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  three  ot  the  number  are  yet  living. 

John  Henry  Smith  was  educated  in  Iowa,  attending  high  school  at  Nevada,  that 
state,  and  in  1890  he  came  to  Kansas  City.  Here  he  started  out  upon  his  business  career 
as  a  clerk  in  an  abstract  office.  His  course  has  been  marked  by  steady  advancement, 
resulting  from  the  wise  use  ot  his  opportunities,  his  fidelity  to  the  interests  ot  his  employ- 
ers and  the  fact  that  he  never  watched  the  hands  ot  the  clock,  tearing  that  he  was 
giving  too  much  service  to  those  who  had  employed  him.  His  diligence  and  enterprise 
secured  his  advancement  and  he  is  now  a  well  known  figure  in  the  financial  circles  of 
the  city,  being  a  director  ot  the  Security  National  Bank,  president  ot  the  Kansas  City 
Title  &  Trust  Company  and  president  ot  the  McCrae  Securities  Company.  The  Kansas 
City  Title  &  Trust  Company  was  organized  in  1915  and  is  capitalized  tor  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  This  corporation  has  ofl[lces  in  the  New  York  Life  building 
and  its  interests  are  splendidly  organized  and  most  carefully  directed  by  Mr.  Smith, 
who  is  the  executive  head  of  the  business. 

On  the  first  of  September,  1909,  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  Miss  Margery  Menefee, 


190  CEXTEXNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

of  Los  Angeles,  California,  and  they  have  a  daughter,  Madeline,  who  is  five  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Smith  is  a  man  of  wide  popularity,  highly  esteemed  in  Kansas  City,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  for  many  years.  His  attractive  personality,  his  sterling  qualities  and  his 
business  ability  have  established  him  high  in  public  regard.  During  the  World  war 
he  served  actively  in  connection  with  the  Liberty  loan  drives  and  at  all  times  he  gives 
earnest  support  to  those  interests  which  are  a  matter  of  public  concern. 


ROBERT  HENRY  STOCKTON. 

Robert  Henry  Stockton,  identified  with  the  commercial  interests  of  St.  Louis 
for  fifty-five  years,  has  since  1899  been  the  president  and  general  manager  of  the 
Majestic  Range  Company,  and  in  this  connection  has  been  largely  Instrumental 
in  the  development  of  a  business  that  today  o'ertops  anything  of  the  kind  in  the 
world.  He  enjoyed  no  special  advantages  at  the  outset  of  his  career,  placing  his 
dependence  upon  the  substantial  qualities  of  industry,  determination  and  close 
application. 

A  native  of  Kentucky,  he  was  born  at  Mount  Sterling,  July  5,  1842,  and  is  of 
English  lineage,  being  descended  from  one  of  the  old  Virginia  families  established 
in  that  state  In  1680.  During  the  period  of  Indian  warfare  in  Kentucky  the  family 
was  planted  on  the  soil  of  the  Blue  Grass  state  by  Robert  Stockton,  the  grandfather 
of  Robert  Henry  Stockton,  who  opened  the  first  bank  in  his  section  of  Kentucky. 
His  son,  George  Jewett  Stockton,  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  became  a  merchant 
there.  He  was  married  in  that  state  to  Augusta  Somersall,  also  of  English  descent. 
All  of  the  members  of  the  family  with  the  exception  of  Robert  H..  and  two  sisters 
fell  victims  to  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1854  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  February 
of  the  same  year.      His  sister.  Mrs.  M.  S.  Cotton,  resides  in  Sedalia,  Missouri. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  Robert  Henry  Stockton  pursued  his 
education  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  when  he  joined  an  uncle  in  Boone  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  from  1857  until  1859  assisted  his  uncle  in  the  development  of  a  farm. 
The  latter  year  witnessed  his  entrance  into  the  commercial  world  as  a  clerk  and 
assistant  to  a  tinner  in  the  hardware  store  of  Dorsey  &  Carter  of  Columbia.  Mis- 
souri, and  blacking  stoves,  putting  up  lightning  rods  and  making  sales  were  a  part 
of  the  duties  which  fell  to  his  lot  in  that  connection. 

Mr.  Stockton  joined  the  Confederate  army  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war 
in  April,  1861,  and  went  with  his  company  to  Boonville,  Missouri,  to  resist  deneral 
Lyons'  advance  into  the  state;  but  the  northern  commander  scattered  the  southern 
forces  before  they  could  be  organized  and  Mr.  Stockton  returned  to  Columbia.  In 
December,  1861,  however,  he  joined  General  Price  and  participated  in  the  various 
movements  of  Price's  army  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Second  Missouri  Infantry. 
He  was  elected  second  lieutenant  of  his  company,  serving  some  time  with  his  com- 
mand and  at  other  times  doing  duty  as  acting  adjutant  under  Colonel  Francis 
M.  Cockrell  until  the  spring  of  1863.  At  that  date  he  permanently  joined  his 
company  and  the  division  of  the  Confederate  army  to  which  they  were  attached 
retreated  into  Vicksburg.  While  on  night  picket  duty  June  5.  1863,  Mr.  Stockton 
was  captured  and  sent  to  Johnson's  Island,  where  he  was  incarcerated  until  February 
1,  1865,  when  he  was  exchanged  and  reported  to  Colonel  Bevier  at  Richmond, 
where  he  was  given  charge  of  a  company  of  exchanged  privates  with  orders  to  pro- 
ceed to  Mobile,  Alabama,  and  there  report  for  duty.  As  no  means  of  transportation 
were  provided,  they  had  to  walk  and  when  they  reached  Eufaula,  Alabama,  on  the 
10th  of  April.  1865,  they  learned  that  the  war  was  ended. 

Mr.  Stockton's  connection  with  St.  Louis  dates  from  September,  1865,  when 
through  the  efforts  of  his  old  employers  at  Columbia  he  secured  a  position  in  the 
hardware  store  of  Pratt,  Fox  &  Company.  After  two  years  he  entered  the  employ 
of  Waters,  Simmons  &  Company,  the  predecessors  of  the  Simmons  Hardware  Com- 
pany. After  the  first  year  of  its  organization  he  became  secretary  of  this  company  and 
later  was  chosen  second  vice  president,  filling  that  position  until  1888,  when  he 
withdrew  from  the  hardware  trade  and  spent  the  succeeding  four  years  in  travel, 
which  was  a  source  of  much  pleasure  to  him.  Indolence  and  idleness,  however,  are 
utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and  after  four  years  of  rest  he  joined  L.  L.  Culver, 
in  1892,  in  organizing  the  Majestic  Manufacturing  Company.  Upon  the  death  of 
Mr.  Culver  in  1899  he  succeeded  to  the  presidency  and  general  management  of  the 


ROBERT  H.  STOCKTON 


Vol.  Ill— 13 


TBI  M^  TOM 


A3T«f,  VB»>01  ANtt 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  193 

company,  and  his  direction  of  the  business  has  led  to  its  development  until  the 
house  is  unsurpassed  by  any  interest  of  the  kind  in  the  world.  Its  sales  cover  prac- 
tically every  state  of  the  Union  and  extend  into  many  foreign  countries  as  well.  Mr. 
Stockton  has  given  his  attention  continuously  to  the  conduct  of  the  business  since 
he  entered  into  active  connection  therewith  and  its  marvelous  development  is  largely 
the  outcome  of  his  capability,  keen  sagacity  and  enterprise.  His  cooperation  has  also 
been  sought  in  the  conduct  of  other  business  interests  of  importance.  He  is  one 
of  the   directors   of   the  Mississippi   Valley   Trust   Company. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1867,  at  Richmond,  Missouri,  Mr.  Stockton  was 
married  to  Miss  Betty  Mae  Warder,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Susan  Warder.  She  passed 
away  in  November,  1904,  and  their  only  child  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  months. 

Mr.  Stockton  belongs  to  the  Business  Men's  League,  the  Mercantile  Club,  the 
Noonday  Club,  the  Confederate  Veterans  Association  and  to  the  Hamilton  Avenue 
Christain  church.  He  has  ever  been  keenly  interested  in  the  vital  political  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day  and  was  a  most  stalwart  champion  of  Governor  Folk  in  his 
efforts  to  introduce  clean  politics  and  bring  about  the  expression  of  public  opinion 
without  the  domination  of  machine  rule.  At  the  time  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition  was  held  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Stockton  was  one  of  the  directors  and  the 
chairman  of  its  advertising  committee.  He  was  made  a  member  of  the  reception 
committee  to  entertain  President  Wilson  on  his  visit  to  St.  Louis  on  the  5th  of 
September,  1919. 

It  is  said  that  Mr.  Stockton  finds  his  chief  recreation  in  country  life  and  enjoys 
nothing  better  than  a  visit  to  the  Woodford  farm,  belonging  to  his  nephew  in  Pettis 
county.  While  he  is  now  in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age,  in  spirit  and  interests 
he  seems  yet  in  his  prime,  keeping  in  close  touch  with  the  trend  of  modern  thought 
and  progress  and  using  his  influence,  which  is  notably  strong,  for  the  benefit  and 
upbuilding  of  the  city  with  whose  interests  he  has  been  so  long  and  prominently 
associated. 


FRANCIS   MARION  GREEN. 

Francis  Marion  Green  was  prominently  identified  with  the  intellectual  and 
moral  progress  of  Missouri  for  many  years,  devoting  his  life  to  educational  work 
in  the  schoolroom  and  in  the  pulpit.  He  was  born  at  Farmington,  Iowa,  in  1845, 
a  son  of  Preston  G.  and  Jemima  (Cook)  Green,  who  were  natives  of  Kentucky. 
The  son  came  to  Missouri  about  1866,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years,  and 
settled  in  the  northwestern  section  of  the  state.  He  was  liberally  educated,  being 
a  graduate  of  Mount  Pleasant  University,  and  he  took  up  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing, which  he  followed  for  some  time  prior  to  the  Civil  war.  Following  the  out- 
break of  hostilities  between  the  north  and  the  south  he  entered  the  conflict  in  the 
last  year  of  the  war.  With  his  return  to  civil  lite  he  again  took  up  the  profession 
of  teaching  and  later  entered  the  ministry.  Removing  to  Missouri  he  accepted  the 
pastorate  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Queen  City,  where  he  continued 
for  a  year  and  then  went  to  Brashear,  where  he  labored  for  three  years.  Later 
he  was  pastor  of  the  church  at  Kirksville,  Missouri,  for  three  years,  going  to  these 
different  places  in  accordance  with  the  itinerant  custom  of  the  Methodist  ministry. 
He  also  spent  a  similar  period  at  Clarence,  Missouri,  and  for  three  years  was  pastor 
of  the  Methodist  church  at  Chillicothe.  He  was  then  made  district  superintendent, 
with  headquarters  at  Macon,  and  later  resigned  that  position  to  become  the  pastor 
of  the  Methodist  church  at  Brookfield,  where  he  continued  his  labors  for  three 
years.  Ill  health  obliged  him  to  resign  and  he  removed  to  Macon,  where  he  spent 
his  remaining  days,  passing  away  in  the  year  1903.  His  life  was  fraught  with  good 
deeds  and  ever  actuated  by  the  highest  purposes.  He  was  a  man  of  great  sympathy 
as  well  as  an  able  teacher  in  the  pulpit,  and  his  kindly  words  of  admonition  sank 
deep  into  many  hearts  and  in  the  course  of  years  bore  rich  fruit. 

In  1866  Mr.  Green  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  Krenmyre,  a  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Annie  (Flood)  Krenmyre,  the  former  a  native  of  Germany,  while  the 
latter  was  born  in  Indiana.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green  were  born  three  daughters: 
Minnie,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Joseph  M.  Darr,  of  Chillicothe;  Carrie,  the  wife  of 
Richard  Holtzclaw.  of  Macon,  Missouri;  and  Annie  Laura,  the  widow  of  Ross  Lar- 
rabee,  of  Kansas  City. 


194  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

It  is  to  Mrs.  Dai-r  that  we  are  indebted  tor  this  material  concerning  the  his- 
tory of  her  father,  who  was  long  a  prominent  and  influential  factor  in  the  life  of 
his  adopted  state.  Mrs.  Darr  is  well  known  as  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution.  The  Chillicothe  chapter  was  organized  May  20,  1911,  by 
Mrs.  Martha  Prindle  Barney,  who  became  the  first  regent  of  what  was  known  as 
Olive  Prindle  Chapter,  the  national  number  being  1004.  Miss  Anna  Broaddus 
became  the  first  historian  and  Mrs.  Joseph  M.  Darr  is  the  treasurer.  She  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  old  southern  families  that  was  founded  on  American  soil 
during  early  colonial  days  and  among  her  ancestors  were  those  who  fought  for 
independence  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 


JOHN   RING. 


John  Ring,  widely  known  as  an  inventor,  made  valuable  contribution  to  the 
packing  business  through  his  invention  of  machinery  for  refrigeration  and  ice  man- 
ufacture He  is  now  a  provision  inspector  of  St.  Louis  and  is  still  an  active  factor  in 
the  world's  work  notwithstanding  his  seventy-nine  years.  He  was  born  in  County 
Cork  Ireland,  in  1841  and  was  but  five  years  of  age  when  his  parents,  Edward  and 
Mary  (Roche)  Ring,  established  their  home  in  St.  Louis.  The  father  left  the 
Emerald  isle  in  1841  and  became  a  resident  of  Cincinnati.  Ohio.  In  1844  he  made 
his  way  to  St.  Louis  and  two  years  later  brought  his  family  to  the  new  world,  so 
that  John  Ring  has  been  continuously  a  resident  of  this  city  since  1846.  His  father 
was  connected  with  lard  oil  manufacturing  in  St.  Louis,  establishing  the  first  plant 
of  the  kind  in  the  city,  and  in  1857  he  extended  the  scope  of  his  business  to  include 
candle  manufacturing,  and  afterward  the  manufacture  of  refined  lard.  The  methods 
which  he  pursued  were  soon  copied  by  others  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  entire 
market  was  supplied  with  this  improved  refined  lard.  Until  other  manufacturers 
had  adopted  the  process  which  had  been  promoted  by  Mr.  Ring  and  his  son  they 
had  a  practical  monopoly  on  all  lard  sold  in  Cuba,  Mexico  and  the  southern  part 
of  the  United  States,  as  theirs  was  the  only  lard  which  would  not  melt  into  oil  in 
the  hot  southern  climate.  The  efforts  of  Edward  Ring  were  therefore  of  essential 
value  in  connection  with  the  packing  industry.  He  married  Mary  Roche,  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  family  of  that  name  well  known  throughout  Ireland. 

Their  son,  John  Ring,  was  a  pupil  in  the  schools  of  St.  Louis  until  1855,  when 
he  became  associated  with  his  father  in  business.  He  also  studied  in  private 
schools  of  St.  Louis  and  in  the  St.  Louis  University  and  the  Christian  Brothers  Col- 
lege, pursuing  a  course  in  chemistry  in  the  last  named.  This  branch  of  study  has 
been  of  great  value  to  him  in  his  business  activities.  Having  joined  his  father  in 
business,  he  continued  in  the  manufacture  of  lard  for  a  number  of  years  and  met 
with  a  substantial  measure  of  success.  In  1881,  however,  his  plant  was  entirely 
destroyed  by  fire  and  it  was  this  that  caused  Mr.  Ring  to  direct  his  efforts  into 
other  fields.  From  early  life  he  had  shown  marked  mechanical  skill  and  ingenuity 
that  found  expression  in  inventions,  especially  along  lines  having  to  do  with  the 
refinement  and  refrigeration  of  lard.  Studying  along  these  lines  in  order  to  secure 
adequate  machinery  for  the  work,  he  at  length  succeeded  in  producing  machinery 
for  refrigeration  and  ice  manufacture,  for  in  connection  with  the  packing  and  brew- 
ing business  refrigeration  was  needed  independent  of  ice,  and  following  the  fire  of 
1881  he  patented  his  refrigerating  and  ice-making  machines  and  began  their  man- 
ufacture and  sale.  The  first  two  large  machines  which  he  built  and  sold  were 
placed  in  the  plant  of  the  C.  &  L.  Rose  Packing  Company,  now  the  Waldeck  Pack- 
ing Company  of  St.  Louis,  and  are  still  in  operation.  In  1885  he  built  two  machines 
for  Cox  &  Gordon,  packers,  and  from  that  time  forward  there  was  a  demand  for 
other  machines  of  his  manufacture,  so  that  for  nine  years  he  continued  in  the  busi- 
ness which  steadily  grew,  becoming  one  of  the  profitable  productive  industries  of 
the  city.  His  machines  brought  out  many  new  ideas  which  are  still  in  use  in  the 
best  refrigerating  plants  even  to  this  day.  Like  so  many  inventors,  Mr.  Ring 
became  involved  in  litigation  because  others  attempted  to  utilize  his  patents.  He 
spent  seventeen  years  in  contesting  his  rights  in  the  courts,  and  when  the  decision 
was  finally  rendered  in  his  favor,  it  was  too  late  to  reap  any  pecuniary  reward,  for 
the  patents  had  by  this  time  expired,  and  the  law  of  limitations  applied.  The  world, 
too     owes   to   him   a   debt   of   gratitude    for   his    invention   in    ice-making   machines. 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  195 

which  have  placed  ice  within  the  reach  of  all  because  of  its  cheapness  of  manu- 
facture through  the  processes  which  he  instituted.  On  May  25,  1909,  he  was 
granted  a  basic  patent  for  apparatus  for  purifying  the  air  in  subways.  This  has 
been  endorsed  by  the  Public  Service  Commission  of  New  York,  and  will  be  installed 
in  New  York  subways  as  soon  as  financial  conditions  permit  the  expenditure.  Other 
inventions  owe  their  existence  to  his  fertile  brain  and  skilled  hand  and  he  stands 
today  among  those  who  have  given  America  preeminence  as  the  land  of  invention. 

Mr.  Ring  has  been  most  pleasantly  situated  in  his  home  lite,  which  had  its 
beginning  in  his  marriage  on  the  8th  of  September,  1868,  to  Miss  Kate  M.  O'Neil, 
whose  father.  Judge  Joseph  O'Neil,  was  at  one  time  president  of  the  Citizens'  Sav- 
ings Bank.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ring  were  born  seven  children.  The  eldest,  John,  Jr., 
is  now  at  the  head  of  the  John  Ring,  Jr.,  Advertising  Company  of  St.  Louis,  with 
offices  in  the  Victoria  building,  and  is  conducting  a  very  successful  business. 
Joseph,  the  second  of  the  family,  is  deceased.  Genevieve  D.  is  at  home.  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Lewis  R.  Padberg,  and  they  have  four  children,  three  sons  and 
a  daughter:  Jerome,  Genevieve,  Lewis  and  John.  Vincent  P.,  deceased,  married 
Rosalie  Fusz  and  at  his  death  left  two  sons:  Vincent  P.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the 
St.  Louis  University  and  is  now  studying  civil  engineering  in  the  Massachusetts 
Institute  of  Technology  at  Boston;  and  Paul  Fusz,  who  is  pursuing  a  classical  course 
in  the  St.  Louis  University.  The  other  two  children  of  the  Ring  family  died  in 
infancy. 

Mr.  Ring  was  honored  with  election  to  the  English  society  known  as  the  Royal 
Society  of  Arts,  Manufacture  and  Commerce.  This  election  occurred  February  7, 
1917,  in  recognition  of  his  contribution  to  the  refrigerating  business  through  his 
inventions.  His  son,  Vincent  P.,  invented  the  present  method  of  making  glass 
tanks,  which  are  today  in  use  throughout  the  United  States.  He  also  reduced  the 
cost  of  glass  making  thirty  percent  through  the  methods  which  he  promoted.  Aside 
from  his  connection  with  the  English  society  previously  mentioned,  John  Ring  was 
for  a  time  a  member  of  the  Academy  of  Science  at  Philadelphia  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  alumni  association  of  the  St.  Louis  University.  His  religious  faith  is 
that  of  the  Catholic  church  and  he  has  been  a  most  earnest  and  active  worker  on 
the  side  of  charity  and  benevolence.  For  twenty  years  he  served  as  secretary  of 
the  board  of  managers  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Orphan  Asylums  and  for  a  similar 
period  was  secretary  of  the  upper  council  of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  which 
has  as  its  main  motive  the  alleviation  of  hard  conditions  of  life  for  the  unfortunate. 
He  is  constantly  extending  a  helping  hand  wherever  aid  is  needed  and  thus  he  has 
done  much  for  humanity  as  well  as  lor  the  world  at  large  through  his  inventive 
genius. 


WILLIS   K.   BRAMWELL. 


Willis  K.  Bramwell,  vice  president  of  the  Central  Exchange  National  Bank  of 
Kansas  City  and  a  man  who  stands  four  square  to  every  wind  that  blows,  was  born 
in  Belleville,  Kansas,  July  9,  1892,  and  is  one  of  the  four  children  born  to  D.  D. 
and  Clara  (Kloos)  Bramwell.  The  father  was  born  in  Bloomington,  Illinois,  while 
the  mother  is  a^native  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  They  now  reside  in  western  Kansas, 
being  still  residents  of  Belleville,  where  Mr.  Bramwell  is  actively  connected  with 
the  National  Bank. 

At  the  usual  age  Willis  K.  Bramwell  became  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools  o£ 
his  native  town  and  passed  through  consecutive  grades  to  the  high  school.  Later 
he  entered  the  University  of  Kansas,  in  which  he  completed  the  law  course,  win- 
ning the  LL.  B.  degree  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1913.  He  started  upon  his  busi- 
ness career  in  connection  with  the  National  Bank  of  Belleville,  with  which  he 
remained  for  three  and  a  half  years.  For  two  years  he  occupied  the  position  of 
examiner  with  the  Pioneer  Mortgage  Company  of  Topeka,  Kansas,  and  on  the 
expiration  of  that  period  removed  to  Kansas  City  and  became  identified  with  the 
Stock  Yards  National  Bank  in  the  capacity  of  vice  president,  remaining  with  that 
Institution  for  a  year.  He  then  became  connected  with  the  Central  Exchange 
National,  Bank,  of  which  he  is  now  the  vice  president.  For  intricate  financial 
problems  he  finds  ready  and  correct  solutions.     He  has  made  a  close  and  compre- 


196  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

hensive  study  of  the  banking  business  in  principle  and  detail  and  in  the  manage- 
ment of  affairs  has  ever  recognized  the  fact  that  tlie  bank  is  most  worthy  of  sup- 
port that  most  carefully  safeguards  and  protects  the  interests  of  depositors.  The 
policy  pursued  by  the  Central  Exchange  National  Bank  is  one  which  has  always 
commended  it  to  the  confidence  and  support  of  the  public  and  the  business  has 
steadily  grown. 

On  the  7th  t)f  June,  1915,  Mr.  Bramwell  was  married  to  Miss  Gladys  Ruth 
Clark,  of  Fredonia,  Kansas,  a  daughter  of  D.  F.  Clark,  who  is  a  banker  of  that 
city.  Mr.  Bramwell  is  widely  known  in  club  circles  of  Kansas  City,  belonging  to 
the  Kansas  City  Club,  the  Meadow  Lake  Golf  Club  and  to  the  Knife  and  Fork  Club. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  having  membership  in  the  various  bodies  of  the  York 
Rite  and  also  in  Ararat  Temple,  A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S.  He  belongs  to  the  Westport 
Presbyterian  church,  in  the  work  of  which  he  takes  an  active  and  helpful  interest. 
He  has  long  been  much  interested  in  athletics  and. was  captain  of  the  football  team 
of  the  university.  He  also  became  a  member  of  the  Sigma  Chi,  a  college  fraternity, 
when  at  Lawrence,  Kansas.  In  his  business  life  and  in  fact  in  support  of  every 
project  which  he  has  undertaken  he  has  been  not  only  a  hard  worker  but  an  enthu- 
siastic one  and  to  this  may  largely  be  attributed  his  success.  Moreover,  he  is  a 
man  of  most  genial  nature  and  unfailing  courtesy,  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet 
either  in  business  or  social  relations. 


COLONEL   EDWARD   M.   STAYTON. 

Prominent  in  engineering  circles  and  widely  known  because  of  his  military 
activity,  Colonel  Edward  M.  Stayton  ranks  with  the  leading  and  honored  residents 
of  Independence.  Moreover,  he  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  and  distinguished 
pioneer  families  of  western  Missouri  and  his  birth  occurred  September  4,  1874,  upon 
what  is  known  as  the  old  Thomas  Stayton  farm  two  miles  southeast  of  Independence, 
his  parents  being  Thomas  and  Louisa  Matilda  (Com)  Stayton,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Missouri.  The  paternal  grandfather  came  to  this  state  about  1820,  bring- 
ing his  slaves  with  him,  after  which  he  employed  them  in  hewing  a  home  out  of 
the  wilderness  and  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  and  lime  used  in  the  construction 
of  the  brick  house  on  the  old  homestead.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Jack- 
son county  and  here  he  reared  his  family  of  ten  children.  His  household  was  a  very 
large  one  by  reason  of  the  number  of  slaves  he  owned  and  as  the  years  passed  he 
acquired  a  very  extensive  tract  of  land.  In  the  early  days  his  home  was  well  known 
as  a  very  hospitable  one,  always  open  for  the  reception  of  travelers.  Martin  Rice, 
who  came  to  western  Missouri  in  1836  from  Indiana,  was  entertained  by  John 
Stayton  and  makes  mention  of  the  family  in  his  writings.  John  Stayton  was  also 
a  very  religious  man,  holding  firmly  to  the  faith  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  he  never 
allowed  anything  to  interfere  with  his  religious  duties.  Thomas  Stayton,  father  of 
Colonel  Stayton,  was  the  owner  of  four  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  valuable  land  and 
in  addition  to  developing  his  property  was  very  active  in  public  affairs  but  never 
sought  or  held  public  office. 

Upon  the  old  family  homestead  Colonel  Stayton  of  this  review  spent  the  period 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  acquiring  his  early  education  in  the  rural  school  near 
his  father's  home  and  afterward  continuing  his  studies  in  the  high  school  at  Inde- 
pendence. In  1892  he  became  a  student  in  the  Missouri  State  University,  in  which 
he  pursued  a  special  course  in  civil  engineering,  and  he  also  took  an  active  and  helpful 
interest  in  the  military  department  of  the  university.  Throughout  his  life  he  has 
been  keenly  interested  in  military  affairs.  On  the  9th  of  February,  1891,  he  enlisted 
as  a  member  of  Company  F  of  the  Third  Missouri  Infantry  and  received  considerable 
preliminary  training  in  the  company.  After  becoming  a  university  student  he  was 
given  an  opportunity  to  show  his  ability  in  handling  a  squad  of  recruits  and  within 
a  brief  period  had  won  promotion  to  the  rank  of  first  sergeant  and  in  the  middle 
of  the  year  became  sergeant  major  of  the  battalion.  In  the  fall  of  1894  he  was 
advanced  to  the  first  lieutenancy  of  Company  A  and  during  the  absence  of  its  cap- 
tain served  as  commander  of  the  company.  When  a  vacancy  occurred  among  the 
captains  in  December  of  that  year  he  was  promoted  in  recognition  of  the  ability 
he  had  shown. 


COLONEL  EDWARD  M.  STAYTON 


THl  KiW  TfJKE 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  199 

In  the  meantime  Colonel  Stayton  was  preparing  for  the  practice  of  civil  engi- 
neering and  was  making  wise  use  of  his  time  in  preparation  for  the  profession.  His 
first  important  engineering  worli  was  in  connection  with  the  Kansas  City  Southern 
Railway,  which  taslv  he  undertook  in  January,  1895.  Although  his  first  position  was 
that  of  rod-man,  he  was  soon  promoted  to  instrument  man  and  later  became  resident 
engineer.  At  a  subsequent  period  he  was  engaged  on  the  construction  of  a  branch 
of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  in  Oklahoma,  also  on  a  part  of  the 
Kansas  City,  Mexico  &  Orient  Railway  in  Oklahoma  and  Texas  and  on  the  St.  Louis 
&  San  Francisco  Railway  in  Oklahoma.  His  operations  have  covered  a  very  wide 
territory  and  have  been  of  a  most  important  character.  In  December,  1904,  he  went 
to  the  Spanish  Honduras,  where  he  built  some  industrial  railroads  for  the  handling 
of  the  products  of  several  banana  plantations  and  also  for  the  handling  of  some 
heavy  mahogany  timber.  In  1907  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Harriman  syndicate 
to  make  surveys  for  some  proposed  railways  in  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  Texas  and 
afterward  his  attention  was  given  to  investigations  for  the  betterment  of  the  Cen- 
tral Georgia  Railway  in  Alabama,  Georgia  and  Florida.  Much  time  was  devoted 
to  the  investigation  of  the  possibilities  of  a  system  of  Interurban  railways  out  of 
Kansas  City  and  he  took  part  in  the  final  location  and  construction  of  the  existing 
interurbans  from  Kansas  City  to  St.  Joseph  and  to  Excelsior  Springs,  Missouri,  in. 
1911.  Through  the  succeeding  five  years  he  was  engaged  in  general  consultation 
work,  specializing  in  highways  and  railways.  In  1916,  through  appointment  of  Gov- 
ernor Major,  he  was  made  highway  engineer  of  Jaek'son  county,  filling  that  position, 
for  only  a  few  months,  however,  when  he  was  called  into  military  service  for  duty 
on  the  Mexican  border.  This  was  followed  by  overseas  service  and  a  few  days  after 
his  return  to  his  home  he  was  offered  by  the  county  court  of  Clay  county  the  posi- 
tion of  consulting  engineer  for  their  system  of  two  hundred  miles  of  paved  road. 
He  accepted  and  also  took  up  the  general  practice  of  his  profssion  with  headquarters 
at  Liberty. 

Aside  from  Colonel  Stayton's  profession  nothing  has  so  greatly  claimed  his 
time,  attention  and  energies  as  military  affairs.  In  1907  he  gave  his  services  as 
commandant  of  cadets  to  the  Independence  high  school  and  so  acted  for  two  years. 
On  the  15th  of  June,  1910,  he  was  made  captain  of  Company  F  of  the  Third  Mis- 
souri Infantry  and  was  transferred  to  the  Missouri  Artillery  Battalion  with  his  com- 
pany on  the  24th  of  November,  1914,  while  on  the  7th  of  March,  1915,  he  was  made 
major  of  artillery.  On  the  19th  of  June,  1916,  Colonel  Stayton  was  called  into  the 
federal  service  and  took  his  battalion  to  the  Mexican  border,  where  he  remained 
on  duty  at  Laredo  until  December  24,  when  his  battalion  was  returned  to  its  home 
station.  On  the  20th  of  July,  1917,  he  was  transferred  from  the  artillery  to  the 
Missouri  Engineers  Corps  and  organized  a  battalion  of  engineers,  with  which  he 
entered  the  federal  service  on  the  5th  of  August,  1917,  for  active  duty  in  connec- 
tion with  the  World  war.  The  battalion  went  to  Camp  Doniphan  for  training  and 
there  became  a  part  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  Engineers.  This  regiment  arrived 
in  France  with  the  Thirty-fifth  Division  on  the  10th  of  May,  1918,  and  was  sent 
immediately  to  the  front,  participating  in  the  Amiens  occupation  with  the  British, 
later  the  Vosges  occupation  with  the  French,  also  in  the  St.  Mihiel  offensive,  the 
Argonne  offensive,  the  Verdun  occupation  and  following  the  signing  of  the  armistice 
took  part  in  the  building  of  the  camp  at  Brest.  On  arriving  at  St.  Mihiel,  Colonel 
Stayton  was  placed  in  command  of  his  regiment,  which  was  held  in  reserve  during 
the  battle.  While  the  division  was  engaged  in  the  Argonne  offensive,  it  became 
necessary  for  the  Engineers  to  take  over  the  entire  division  front,  owing  to  the  serious 
losses  the  infantry  had  sustained.  The  line  to  be  occupied  was  selected  and  its  occupa- 
tion superintended  by  Major  Stayton,  who  was  complimented  for  the  prompt  and  skill- 
ful manner  in  which  the  position  on  Schadron  Hill  was  occupied  under  the  heavy  shell 
fire.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  regiment's  participation  in  the  Argonne  offensive  he 
was  promoted  to  the  grade  of  lieutenant  colonel  and  continued  on  duty  with  his  regi- 
ment, and  when  the  regiment  was  relieved  from  duty  in  France  it  was  his  privilege 
to  bring  the  troops  back  home  to  the  splendid  welcome  that  was  accorded  them. 

On  the  26th  of  July,  1898,  Colonel  Stayton  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Estella  Compton,  who  was  reared  on  the  farm  adjoining  his  birthplace  and  who  had 
been  a  playmate  of  his  childhood  days.  They  have  become  parents  of  a  son,  George 
Edward  Stayton.  Their  social  position  is  one  of  the  utmost  prominence  and  Colonel 
Stayton  Is  a  recognized  leader  in  many  connections.  He  has  always  taken  an  active 
Interest  in  the  civil  and  business  affairs  of  his  home  town  and  he  participated  in  the 


200  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

organization  of  the  Home  Deposit  Trust  Company,  o£  which  he  has  continuously  been 
a  director  and  vice  president.  He  is  also  very  active  in  Masonic  circles,  belonging  to 
Independence  Lodge,  No.  76  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he  has  filled  all  the  offices  in- 
cluding that  of  master.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the  Scottish  Rite  and 
Mystic  Shrine  of  Kansas  City.  On  the  4th  of  February,  1903,  he  became  an  associate 
member  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers  and  was  transferred  to  full  mem- 
bership in  1907.  He  also  has  membership  and  is  active  in  the  affairs  of  several 
other  professional  societies.  When  in  December,  1919,  the  coal  situation  became 
serious  on  account  of  strikes  the  state  institutions  being  practically  without  coal  and 
very  little  being  available  tor  domestic  purposes  and  none  at  all  for  Industrial 
purposes,  the  governor  of  Missouri  took  over  the  coal  mines  of  the  state  for  opera- 
tion. Colonel  Stayton  was  immediately  selected  to  go  to  Barton  county  as  the  super- 
intendent of  operations  for  the  mines  located  in  that  part  of  the  state.  In  a  few 
hours  after  his  arrival  he  had  all  of  the  mining  property  under  military  guard  and 
had  begun  the  distribution  of  the  skilled  labor  necessary  to  begin  the  operation  of 
the  mines,  and  in  thirty  hours  after  his  arrival  coal  was  being  loaded.  The  strike 
ended  in  just  a  week  after  the  governor's  proclamation,  but  in  that  time  the  mines 
had  been  put  in  operation  by  the  use  of  volunteer  labor  and  had  almost  reached  the 
point  of  normal  production.  Colonel  Stayton  was  highly  complimented  by  the  gov- 
ernor and  all  concerned  for  the  energetic  and  businesslike  manner  in  which  he  took 
hold  of  a  most  difficult  situation  and  produced  results  without  any  delay  whatever. 
The  adjutant  general  of  Missouri,  in  a  letter  conveying  his  own  and  the  governor's 
appreciation  for  Colonel  Stayton's  work  in  this  emergency,  use'd  these  words:  "It  is 
a  great  satisfaction  to  the  governor  to  know  that  an  officer  of  your  exceptional  ability 
and  who  has  distinguished  himself  so  remarkably  in  France  was  ready  to  anwer  the 
call  of  the  state  regardless  of  the  personal  sacrifice  entailed.  A  state  which  numbers 
such  soldiers  among  its  citizens  is  most  fortunate." 

In  June,  19  20,  there  occurred  a  vacancy  in  the  command  of  the  Third  Regiment 
National  Guard  of  Missouri.  It  was  the  consensus  of  opinion  of  all  that  a  service 
man,  with  a  good  record  in  France,  was  a  necessity  for  the  command  of  the  regi- 
ment, and  when  the  officers  of  the  regiment  convened  for  the  purpose  of  electing 
a  colonel  but  one  name  was  mentioned.  Colonel  Stayton  being  unanimously  elected 
to  the  command.  On  August  1,  1920,  Colonel  Stayton  became  city  member  of  the 
board  of  control  of  the  Kansas  City  Railway  Company,  a  highly  important  position 
involving  the  operation  of  the  street  railway  system  of  Greater  Kansas  City.  His 
has  been  a  most  busy,  active  and  useful  lite  in  which  high  purposes  and  capability 
have  carried  him  into  important  relations.  What  he  has  accomplished  represents 
the  fit  utilization  of  his  innate  powers  and  talents.  He  has  contributed  to  the 
country's  material  development  through  his  professional  work,  has  upheld  its  posi- 
tion and  honor  through  his  military  activity,  and  in  days  of  peace,  in  every  relation 
of  life,  is  equally  loyal  to  the  colors.  General  H.  C.  Clark  said  of  him:  "I  attribute 
his  success  to  his  ability  which  is  exceptional,  to  his  industry  and  activity,  his  natural 
leadership,  his  faultless  personal  habits,  his  knowledge  of  men  and  affairs  and  his 
high  character  and  integrity." 


FORREST  G.  FERRIS. 


Forrest  G.  Ferris,  since  191^  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  St.  Louis  as 
member  of  the  firm  of  Ferris  &  Rosskopf,  was  born  upon  a  farm  in  Reading  town- 
ship, Hillsdale  county,  Michigan,  July  31,  1S60,  and  is  the  son  of  Augustus  Harvey 
and  Sylvia  (Reed)  Ferris.  The  name  Ferris  had  its  origin  with  Henry  de  Ferrers, 
or  Ferrieres,  or  Farrariis  who  took  the  name  from  a  small  town  in  the  iron  mining 
regions  of  France,  from  which  country  he  went  to  England  with  William  the  Con- 
querer  in  1066.  He  was  master  of  the  King's  horseshoers  and  had  bestowed  upon 
him  the  honor  of  Tutbury  and  lands  in  Stafford,  Derby  and  Leicester  counties. 

Jeffrey  Ferris,  the  first  of  the  Ferris  name  in  America,  helped  to  make  the 
original  survey  of  Boston  and  he  also  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  at  Watertown, 
Massachusetts,  and  at  Wethersfield,  Stamford  and  Greenwich,  Connecticut.  The 
line  of  descent  comes  down  through  his  son  James,  to  James  and  to  Sylvanus  Ferris. 
Tlie  latter  was  born  in  1738  and  lived  at  Greenwich,  Connecticut,  until   1782,  when 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  ,  201 

lie  removed  to  Westchester  county,  New  York,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  on  the 
28th  of  May,  of  that  year.  Sylvanus  Ferris  wedded  Mary  Mead  and  the  line  of 
descent  comes  down  through  Henry  Ferris  who  married  Elizabeth  Hayes;  Thacher 
Isaac  Ferris  who  married  Betsey  Elwell;  Henry  Hayes  Ferris  who  at  Ira,  Cayuga 
<;ounty.  New  York,  married  Hannah  Terpening,  a  daughter  of  Lucas  and  Jane 
(Failing)  Terpening;  and  Augustus  Harvey  Ferris,  who  at  Reading,  Michigan,  mar- 
ried Sylvia  Reed,  a  daughter  of  John  Hanson  and  Sophia  (Smith)  Reed.  John 
Hanson  Reed,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  Forrest  G.  Ferris,  was  born  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  was  the  son  of  John  and  Phoebe  (Arnold)  Reed,  who  were  natives  of 
Smithfield,  Massachusetts,  and  a  grandson  of  John  Read  of  Salem,  who  changed 
the  spelling  of  the  name  to  Read.  At  Collins,  Erie  county.  New  York,  he  married 
Sophia  Smith,  who  was  born  at  Danby,  Vermont,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Asa  and 
Sylvia  (Wilher)  Smith.  Asa  Smith  was  a  son  of  George  and  Rachael  (Read)  Smith, 
of  Rhode  Island,  and  Sylvia  Wilber  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Wilber  (or  Wilbur) 
and  Elizabeth  Badgly  of  Massachusetts.  The  ancestors  of  Mr.  Ferris  for  several 
generations  back  were  nearly  all  farmers.  His  grandfather,  John  Hanson  Read, 
was  for  nineteen  years,  from  1828  to  1847,  a  sailor  and  captain  of  sailing  vessels 
■on  the  Great  Lakes  and  later  he  was  a  carpenter  and  millwright. 

Augustus  Harvey  Ferris  and  his  wife  Sylvia  (Reed)  Ferris  were  both  educated 
in  the  country  schools  and  in  Hillsdale  College,  in  Michigan.  The  father  was  a 
sergeant  in  Company  C,  First  Regiment  of  Michigan  Sharpshooters  in  the  Civil  war, 
and  after  serving  for  nearly  two  years  was  taken  prisoner  September  30,  1864,  at 
Poplar  Grove  church,  near  Petersburg,  Virginia,  and  was  confined  in  Confederate 
prisons,  being  first  in  Libby,  at  Richmond  and  then  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina, 
where  he  died  January  5,  1865.  His  grandfather,  Henry  Hayes  Ferris,  was  also 
a  soldier  in  the  Union  army,  serving  as  a  sergeant  in  Company  G,  Second  Michigan 
Cavalry. 

After  losing  her  first  husband,  Mrs.  Sylvia  Ferris  became  the  wife  of  Silas  W. 
Haynes,  and  Forrest  G.  Ferris  removed  with  his  mother  and  stepfather  from  Mich- 
igan to  Wheeling  township,  Livingston  county,  Missouri,  in  the  summer  of  1871. 
He  attended  the  country  schools  and  also  the  village  schools  of  Wheeling,  and  for 
two  years  he  was  a  student  in  the  high  school  at  Chillicothe,  Missouri.  During  the 
four  years  from  1878  until  1882  he  pursued  academic  studies  and  the  study  of  law 
in  the  University  of  Missouri  and  there  won  his  LL.B.  degree.  He  earned  his  first 
money  by  working  on  a  farm,  which  was  his  employment  during  his  minority  when 
not  in  school,  save  for  a  few  months  when  he  clerked  in  a  village  store  at  Wheeling. 
Following  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  was  for  one  year  in  the  law  office  of  Owen 
T.  Rouse  of  Moberly,  Missouri,  and  taught  the  summer  term  of  the  Wheeling  school 
in  1883.  He  also  taught  in  the  Moberly  high  school  during  the  school  year  1883- 
1884,  and  was  principal  of  the  Moberly  East  Side  school  during  the  succeeding  year. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1885,  Mr.  Ferris  opened  a  law  office  in  Moberly,  where  he 
practiced  until  October  16,  1907.  On  the  latter  date  he  became  assistant  attorney 
general  of  Missouri,  under  Herbert  S.  Hadley  and  continued  to  act  in  that  capacity 
until  January  1,  1909.  He  was  also  assistant  circuit  attorney  of  the  city  of  St. 
Louis,  under  Seebert  G.  Jones  for  the  four  years,  beginning  January  1,  1909,  and 
since  the  1st  of  January,  1913,  he  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  the  general 
practice  of  law  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  in  partnership  with  Henj-y  A.  Rosskopf, 
under  the  firm  style  of  Ferris  &  Rosskopf,  with  offices  in  the  Times  Building.  The 
firm  has  enjoyed  an  extensive  practice  and  Mr.  Ferris  and  his  partner  are  joint 
authors  of  "Ferris  &  Rosskopf's  Instructions  to  Juries,  Civil  and  Criminal,  for  Mis- 
souri and  Arkansas."  Beginning  in  1912  Mr.  Ferris  has  each  year  delivered  lec- 
tures to  evening  classes  of  law  students  in  the  Benton  College  of  Law,  in  St.  Louis, 
his  principal  subjects  being  torts,  negotiable  instruments,  extraordinary  remedies 
and  court  procedure. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1884,  at  Moberly,  Missouri,  Mr.  Ferris  was  married  to 
Miss  Bessie  Roth  well,  a  daughter  of  Gideon  Franklin  and  Elizabeth  Minor  (Rag- 
land)  Rothwell.  Her  father  was  born  in  Callaway  county,  Missouri,  and  was  long 
a  resident  of  Moberly,  where  he  was  known  as  an  able  lawyer  and  orator.  He 
served  as  a  member  of  congress  from  1879  until  1881,  and  as  member  and  president 
of  the  board  of  curators  of  the  University  of  Missouri  from  1889  until  1894.  The 
gymnasium  of  that  institution  now  bears  his  name.  He  was  a  descendant  of  Clai- 
borne Rothwell,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  of  Virginia.  Mrs.  Ferris  is  also  kin  to 
the  Renfro   and  Stephens   families  of  Callaway  and   Boone  counties,   Missouri,   and 


202  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

the  Ragland  and  Buckner  families  of  Monroe  county,  Missouri,  and  among  her 
ancestors  on  her  mother's  side  were  James  Taylor  of  Virginia,  a  colonel  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  and  Thomas  Minor  of  Virginia,  a  captain  in  the  Revolution 
and  a  colonel  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forrest  G.  Ferris 
are  Elizabeth  Reed,  now  the  wife  of  James  S.  Summers,  a  lawyer  of  Kansas  City, 
Missouri;  Franklin  Rothwell.  deceased;  Ruth;  Forrest  G.,  Jr.,  who  served  as  yeo- 
man, first  class,  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  in  the  World  war;  and  Frances.  There  are  also 
two  grandchildren.   Ferris   Rothwell   Summers  and   Bessie  Mary   Summers. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Ferris  is  a  republican  and  has  been  widely  recognized 
as  a  prominent  worker  in  the  party.  He  served  as  state  committeeman  and  repeat- 
edly as  county  chairman,  and  in  1904  was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  National 
Convention.  While  a  resident  of  Moberly  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  edu- 
cation of  that  city  during  the  six  years  from  1896  to  1902,  of  which  time  he  was 
for  four  years  the  president  of  that  board,  and  during  the  year  189  8  was  president 
of  the  Missouri  School  Board  Association.  From  1899  until  1903  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Moberly  Public  Library  Board,  so  serving  at  the  time  the  Moberly  Car- 
negie Library  was  built.  He  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Louis,  Missouri  State  and  Amer- 
ican Bar  Associations,  and  also  of  the  National  Geographic  Society  and  the  Zoo- 
logical Society  of  St.  Louis.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America  and  also  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters.  He  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  honorable  American   families  of  sturdy  patriotism. 


JAMES   EDGAR   WITHROW. 

James  Edgar  Withrow  for  twenty-four  years  sat  upon  the  bench  of  the  circuit 
court  of  St.  Louis  and  has  been  a  representative  of  the  bar  of  this  city  since  1868. 
His  judicial  record  was  characterized  by  a  thorough  grasp  of  the  problems  pre- 
sented for  solution  and  has  won  for  him  the  respect  and  honor,  not  only  of  the  general 
public,  but  of  those  who  understand  the  intricacies  of  the  law  and  recognize  how 
delicate  is  the  balance  which  is  a  determining  point  between  justice  and  injustice. 
A  native  son  of  Illinois,  Judge  Withrow  was  born  in  Rushville,  Schuyler  county,  on 
the  22d  day  of  May.  1843,  of  the  marriage  of  William  E.  and  Harriett  (Chase)  With- 
row. In  early  boyhood  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  and  con- 
tinued his  education  in  the  higher  grades  in  the  schools  of  Macomb,  Illinois,  fol- 
lowing the  removal  of  his  parents  to  that  place.  He  was  a  youth  of  nineteen  years 
when  in  September,  1862,  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid  and  joined  the 
Seventy-eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  .He  participated  in  many  hotly  con- 
tested engagements  with  his  command,  including  the  battles  of  Franklin,  Duck  Hill, 
Chickamauga.  Altoona,  Resaca,  Dalton,  Mill  Creek  Gap,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Atlanta, 
Jonesboro  and  the  siege  of  Savannah  and  the  engagements  of  Bentonville  and  Raleigh, 
North  Carolina,  and  was  wounded  three  times.  He  marched  with  Sherman's  army 
from  Nashville  to  Savannah  and  up  to  Raleigh,  and  when  hostilities  had  ceased 
proceeded  with  his  command  to  the  national  capital  where  thousands  of  the  "boys 
in  blue"  marched  through  the  streets  of  the  city  in  "grand  review"  between  lines 
of  cheering  thousands  who  thus  welcomed  the  return  of  the  northern  army,  while 
suspended  across  Pennsylvania  avenue  was  a  banner  bearing  the  words:  "The  only 
debt  which  the  country  owes  that  she  cannot  pay  is  the  debt  she  owes  her  soldiers." 
Then  came  the  trip  by  train  to  Chicago,  where  the  regiment  was  mustered  out  in 
June,  1865,  and  thus  the  military  experience  of  Judge  Withrow  was  ended  after 
almost  three  years  of  active  duty  on  southern  battlefields. 

For  a  few  weeks  Judge  Withrow  visited  with  old  friends  in  Macomb,  Illinois, 
and  then  came  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Having  been  thoroughly 
prepared  for  the  bar,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  January,  1868,  and  has  since 
been  closely  identified  with  the  profession,  today  enjoying  well  earned  and  well 
merited  honors  as  a  representative  of  the  judiciary  of  the  state.  As  the  years  passed 
he  gave  proof  of  his  ability  to  solve  correctly  the  intricate  problems  of  the  law  and 
in  1877  was  appointed  assistant  city  counselor  of  St.  Louis,  in  which  capacity  he 
served  until  1879.  For  many  years  he  was  secretary  of  the  Missouri  Bar  Associa- 
tion and  of  the  Bar  Association  of  St.  Louis.  He  continued  in  private  practice  until 
1888,  when  he  was  called  to  the  bench  of  the  St.   Louis  circuit  court  and  was  re- 


JAMES  E.  WITHROW 


THI  f^IW  TOF.I 
POBl.lC  LIBRARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  205 

elected  in  1894  and  again  in  1904  and  again  in  1910.  He  sat  upon  this  bench  for 
twenty-four  years,  during  which  period  he  earned  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the 
worthiest  and  most  useful  members  of  the  state  judiciary.  A  contemporary  biog- 
rapher has  said:  "During  his  long  judicial  career  he  had  been  noted  for  his  patient 
investigation  of  causes,  his  painstaking  research,  his  fairness  and  courtesy  and  his 
practical  methods  of  dealing  with  the  affairs  which  have  occupied  his  attention  as  a 
judge."  He  has  remained  throughout  his  professional  career  a  close  student  of  the 
principles  of  law  and  his  decisions  have  been  notably  fair  and  impartial.  He  has, 
in  a  marked  degree,  a  judicial  mind,  capable  of  arriving  at  a  just  conclusion,  as  is 
indicated  by  the  frequency  with  which  his  decisions  have  been  sustained  when  an 
appeal  has  been  taken  to  an  appellate  court.  He  has  commanded  the  respect  not 
only  of  the  public  but  of  the  profession,  in  marked  degree,  and  no  stronger  endorse- 
ment of  his  judicial  service  could  be  given  than  the  fact  that  he  was  four  times  chosen 
for  that  judicial  office.  Upon  the  close  of  his  last  term  he  retired  and  resumed  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  St.  Louis. 

Judge  Withrow  was  married  April  2  5,  1872.  to  Miss  Addie  S.  Partridge,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Stephen  Partridge  and  Harriet  Partridge,  his  wife.  Two  children 
were  born  of  their  marriage:  William  P.  Withrow,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  Edgar 
Partridge  Withrow,  who  with  his  family  resides  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 

Judge  Withrow  is  a  member  of  Ransom  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  h-as  always  been 
interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  old  comrades  in  arms.  In 
his  citizenship  he  stands  for  all  those  movements  which  have  their  root  in  a  desire  " 
for  the  public  good  and  his  habit  of  weighing  each  side  of  a  question  enables  him 
to  determine  correctly  the  probable  value  of  any  project  bearing  upon  municipal, 
state  and  national  affairs.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  Grace  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  of  St.  Louis. 

Judge  Withrow  is  a  great-grandson  of  Captain  Moses  Chase,  of  New  Hampshire, 
who  served  under  Colonel  Ethan  Allen  at  the  battle  of  Ticonderoga,  New  York,  and 
during  the  Revolutionary  war.  For  many  years  Judge  Withrow  has  been  one  of 
the  vice  presidents  of  the  Missouri  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution. 
He  has  also  been  president  of  the  Illinois  Society  of  St.  Louis. 


F.  ERNEST  CRAMER. 


F.  Ernest  Cramer,  who  in  1919  organized  the  Mississippi  Valley  Trading  & 
Navigation  Company,  of  which  he  became  president,  is  in  this  connection  engaged 
in  the  exporting  and  importing  business  in  St.  Louis,  his  native  city.  For  thirty 
years  he  had  previously  been  a  factor  in  the  business  circles  of  Missouri  as  a  direc- 
tor and  officer  of  the  G.  Cramer  Dry  Plate  Company  and  his  forcefulness  and 
resourcefulness  have  long  maintained  him  in  a  position  of  prominence  in  commer- 
cial and  manufacturing  connections. 

Mr.  Cramer  was  born  July  6,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of  Gustav  and  Matilda  (Weber) 
Cramer,  who  are  mentioned  at  length  on  another  page  of  this  work.  He  attended 
the  public  schools  of  the  city  until  1880  and  then  entered  the  Educational  Insti- 
tute, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  188  6.  The  next  year  was  spent  as  a  student 
in  Washington  University,  in  which  he  completed  his  more  specifically  literary 
course  with  the  class  of  1887.  He  then  matriculated  in  the  law  school  of  Wash- 
ington University,  which  he  attended  through  the  scholastic  year  of  1887-8,  and 
the  year  1888-9  was  devoted  to  a  mastery  of  the  science  of  photography.  In  1889 
he  became  identified  with  his  father,  who  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  photo- 
graphic dry  plates,  and  after  several  years'  preparatory  training,  resulting  in  merited 
promotion,  he  was  chosen  to  the  vice  presidency  of  the  G.  Cramer  Dry  Plate  Com- 
pany in  189  8  and  upon  the  death  of  his  father  became  president  of  this  company, 
the  ramifying  trade  interests  of  which  reach  out  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  Still 
broadening  the  scope  of  his  activities,  he  organized  the  Mississippi  Valley  Trading 
&  Navigation  Company  for  the  conduct  of  an  exporting  and  importing  business. 
He  was  at  one  time  president  of  the  Broadway  Bank  but  resigned  from  that  execu- 
tive position. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Cramer  is  an  earnest  republican  and  has  been  quite 
active  in  party  ranks,  serving  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  as  its  vice  presi- 


206  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

dent  for  four  years,  while  on  one  occasion  he  was  a  candidate  tor  the  mayoralty. 
He  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  church  and  is  a  prominent  Mason,  thus  lollowing  in 
the  footsteps  of  his  lather,  who  was  the  second  oldest  representative  of  the  fra- 
ternity in  St.  Louis  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  F.  Ernest  Cramer  has  taken  the 
degrees  of  the  York  and  Scottish  Rites,  is  now  a  Knights  Templar  and  Consistory 
Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  connected  with  many  organiza- 
tions having  to  do  with  the  progress  and  upbuilding  of  St.  Louis,  belongs  to  the 
Million  Population  Club,  of  which  he  is  one  of  the  seven  founders,  having  been 
associated  with  Colonel  W.  B.  Stevens  in  its  organization;  to  the  Rotary  Club  .and 
the  Liederkranz  Club  of  St.  Louis  and  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which  he 
is  one  of  the  directors  and  chairman  of  its  foreign  trade  bureau. 

On  the  31st  of  July,  1901,  Mr.  Cramer  was  married  in  San  Francisco,  Cali- 
fornia, to  Angela  Le  Prohon.  His  interest  centers  in  his  home,  but  a  sense  of  public 
obligation  and  duty  has  made  him  an  active  factor  in  many  movements  which  have 
been  of  deep  concern  and  benefit  to  St.  Louis.  Mature  judgment  characterizes  his 
efforts  at  all  times,  whether  in  the  promotion  of  public  interests  or  the  conduct  of 
the  extensive  business  affairs  which  rank  him  with  the  leading  manufacturers  and 
financiers  of  the  city. 


C.   LESTER   HALL,    M.    D. 


Dr.  C.  Lester  Hall,  well  known  not  only  as  a  successful  medical  practitioner  but 
also  eminent  in  professional  circles  as  an  educator,  has  made  his  home  in  Kansas 
City,  since  September  11,  1890,  and  altogether  has  been  actively  engaged  in  practice 
for  fifty-four  years.  He  was  born  at  Arrow  Rock,  Missouri,  March  10,  1845,  his 
parents  being  Dr.  Matthew  W.  and  Agnes  Jane  (Lester)  Hall,  the  former  a  native 
of  Lexington,  Kentucky,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Virginia.  The  father  became 
a  physician  in  his  native  city  and  left  Kentucky  in  1837,  after  which  he  located  for 
practice  in  Salem,  Illinois,  becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians  of  that  section 
of  the  state.  In  1845  he  removed  from  Salem,  Illinois,  to  Arrow  Rock,  Missouri, 
where  he  practiced  medicine,  at  a  time  when  he  had  to  travel  on  horseback  through- 
out the  countryside  to  make  his  visits.  In  March,  1857,  he  removed  with  his  family 
from  Arrow  Rock  to  a  farm  and  put  his  boys  to  work  in  tilling  the  fields,  for  he 
had  a  family  of  five  sons  whom  he  wished  to  have  the  benefit  of  the  outdoor  life 
and  training  of  the  farm.  Three  of  these  sons  became  physicians.  There  were  alto- 
gether eleven  children  in  the  family,  three  of  whom  died  in  early  life,  eight  of 
whom  reached  adult  age,  and  one  of  the  sons  still  occupies  the  old  homestead  farm. 
The  father  passed  away  in  1894  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  the  community 
losing  one  of  its  representative  and  highly  esteemed  citizens.  He  had  served  as  a 
surgeon  with  Colonel  Robertson's  command  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the 
Civil  war. 

Dr.  Hall  of  this  review  was  also  connected  with  the  Confederate  forces,  joining 
the  same  regiment  with  his  father  when  a  lad  of  but  sixteen  years.  This  regiment 
was  captured  at  Milford,  Johnson  county,  and  he  was  imprisoned  in  the  old  McDowell 
College,  while  later  he  was  transferred  to  Alton,  Illinois.  His  father  being  a  sur- 
geon and  a  man  of  note  was  given  special  care,  and  was  quartered  in  a  hotel  at 
Alton,  Illinois  by  the  government  being  thus  separated  from  the  other  prisoners,  and 
Dr.  Hall  has  often  remarked  that  he  always  had  a  kindly  feeling  toward  the  govern- 
ment because  it  took  such  good  care  of  his  father.  The  son,  however,  was  with 
the  other  prisoners  and  after  he  had  been  incarcerated  for  about  three  months 
prison  pneumonia  became  prevalent  and  acting  under  the  advice  of  his  father  he 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States  government,  and  was  released 
from  prison,  this  undoubtedly  saving  him  from  severe  illness. 

Dr.  Hall  had  obtained  a  common  school  education  in  Saline  county,  Missouri, 
and  had  also  attended  Kemper's  Family  School,  at  Boonville,  Missouri,  the  proprietor 
of  that  institution  being  a  brother  of  the  noted  Governor  Kemper  of  Virginia.  After 
pursuing  his  preliminary  education  Dr.  Hall  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under  the 
direction  of  his  father,  and  later  entered  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College,  which  he 
attended  in  1864  and  1865.  He  afterward  remained  at  home  for  a  year,  continu- 
ing his  reading  in  preparation  for  his  professional  career,  and  in  the  fall  of  1866  he 


Vol.  Ill— 11 


TH!  JIIW  TOM 
PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  209 

entered  the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
there  graduated  March  10.  1867,  with  the  M.  D.  degree.  He  entered  at  once  upon 
the  active  work  of  the  profession  with  his  father  and  for  six  years  engaged  In  country 
practice,  after  which  he  removed  to  Marshall,  Missouri,  on  the  24th  of  April,  1873, 
and  there  opened  an  office.  He  continued  to  follow  his  chosen  life  work  at  that 
place  for  seventeen  years,  and  on  the  11th  of  September.  1890,  removed  to  Kansas 
City,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He  has  devoted  fifty-four  years  of  his  life  to 
the  active  practice  of  medicine,  and  his  ability  has  been  manifest  throughout  the 
entire  period.  Steadily  he  has  advanced  and  has  long  occupied  a  prominent  posi- 
tion, his  opinions  carrying  great  weight  with  fellow  members  of  the  profession, 
while  younger  physicians  eagerly  listen  to  his  counsel  and  advice.  He  has  lectured 
in  the  post-graduate  school  and  for  about  ten  years  was  professor  of  diseases  of 
women  in  the  Medico-Chirurgical  College.  He  was  an  instructor  in  the  Kansas  City 
University  for  two  years  and  in  the  Post  Graduate  Medical  School  for  six  years,  all 
the  time  being  a  professor  of  diseases  of  women.  Up  to  this  time  he  was  president 
of  the  Medical  College  and  of  the  Post  Graduate  School.  He  is  regarded  as  a  most 
capable  educator,  imparting  clearly  and  readily  to  others  the  knowledge  he  has 
acquired,  and  Iiis  own  zeal  and  interest  in  professional  matters  has  been  an  inspira- 
tion to  many  a  student  under  his  direction.  For  eighteen  years  he  served  on  the 
staff  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  has  been  consulting  physician  of  the  City  General 
Hospital,  and  has  otherwise  been  identified  with  hospital  practice. 

On  June  16,  1869,  Dr.  Hall  was  married  in  Saline  county,  Missouri,  to  Katherine 
S.  Sappington.  of  that  county.  Her  father  was  from  Tennessee.  Dr.  Hall  and  his 
wife  have  become  the  parents  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters:  Dr.  D.  Walton  Hall; 
Mrs.  Leon  C.  Smith;  C.  Lester,  Jr.;  and  Katherine  May,  the  wife  of  Kenneth  Dickey, 
of  Kansas  City.  The  religious  faith  of  Dr.  Hall  and  his  family  is  that  of  the  Cen- 
tral Presbyterian  church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  blue  lodge  of  Masons,  and  polit- 
ically he  is  a  democrat,  while  along  strictly  professional  lines  he  is  connected  with 
the  Jackson  County  and  Missouri  State  Medical  Associations,  and  the  American  Med- 
ical Associations,  and  the  Kansas  City  Academy  of  Medicine,  of  which  he  was  presi- 
dent in  1893.  He  has  also  been  honored  with  other  professional  offices,  being  called 
to  the  presidency  of  the  Missouri  State  Medical  Society  in  1895  and  1896,  while  in 
1903  he  was  made  the  vice  president  of  the  American  Medical  Association.  He  is 
regarded  as  the  dean  of  the  profession  in  Kansas  City,  having  practiced  for  a  longer 
period  than  any  other  physician  here.  All  his  colleagues  and  contemporaries  speak 
of  him  in  terms  of  the  highest  regard.  He  is  a  dignified  courteous  gentleman,  com- 
manding attention  and  respect,  and  throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  ever  adhered  to 
the  highest  ethics  and  standards  of  his  chosen  calling. 


WILLIAM  J.   EDWARDS. 


William  J.  Edwards,  who  since  1907  has  been  connected  with  the  grain  trade 
of  St.  Louis  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  firm  of  William  J.  Edwards  &  Company, 
was  born  in  Kosciusko,  Mississippi,  April  7,  1866,  his  parents  being  Joseph  Monroe 
and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Fox)  Edwards.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  a 
son  of  the  Rev.  Jesse  Edwards,  who  was  born  in  Halifax  county.  North  Carolina, 
and  was  a  minister  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church.  In  the  late  '50s  Joseph 
Monroe  Edwards  went  to  Texas,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  while  read- 
ing law  in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  General  Sam  Houston.  He  was 
afterward  graduated  at  the  Baylor  University  of  Law  in  Texas  and  a  little  later 
entered  upon  general  practice,  but  with  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted 
in  the  Sixth  Regiment  of  Texas.  Confederate  army,  joining  the  cavalry  brigade  com- 
manded by  General  Ross.  During  the  first  year  of  the  war  he  was  in  the  Indian 
Territory,  fighting  the  Indians  with  a  view  to  keeping  them  from  joining  the  Union 
army.  He  acted  as  adjutant  to  the  colonel  of  his  regiment.  After  General  Ross 
was  shot  the  forces  with  which  Mr.  Edwards  was  connected  served  under  General 
Price  and  later  under  General  Forest.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Franklin, 
Pea  Ridge,  Murfreesboro,  Shiloh,  Fort  Donelson  and  others.  He  served  altogether 
for  about  four  years,  or  until  his  regiment  surrendered  to  General  Canby  at  Canton, 
Mississippi.     In  the  battle  of  Franklin  he  was  wounded  in  the  arm.     While  serving 


210  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

as  adjutant  he  secured  a  Webster's  dictionary,  which  he  carried  throughout  the 
war  and  which  is  now  in  possession  of  his  son,  William  J.  Edwards.  It  was  during 
the  war  that  Joseph  M.  Edwards  met  the  lady  whom  he  made  his  wife.  He  was 
on  a  foraging  expedition  and  had  occasion  to  go  to  her  father,  Mr.  Fox,  who  was  a 
Mississippi  planter  and  the  owner  of  many  slaves,  all  of  whom  remained  on  the 
plantation  as  long  as  they  lived — some  of  them  up  to  within  the  last  twelve  years. 
This  is  certainly  indicative  of  the  kindly  spirit  which  he  always  manifested  to  those 
who  were  once  his  bondsmen.  To  Mr.  Fox  Mr.  Edwards  carried  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction and  at  that  time  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  daughter  of  the  household, 
Mary  Elizabeth,  afterward  returning  to  make  her  his  wife.  During  the  last  forty 
years  of  his  life  the  father  made  his  home  in  Union  City,  Tennessee,  passing  away 
June  7,  1919.  The  mother  still  lives  with  her  son  in  St.  Louis,  while  a  sister,  Mrs. 
Charles  J.  Crockett,  is  residing  in  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

William  J.  Edwards  began  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Union  City, 
Tennessee,  and  was  graduated  there  from  the  high  school  with  the  class  of  1882. 
He  started  out  in  business  as  clerk  for  W.  H.  Gardner,  the  father  of  Governor  Gard- 
ner of  Missouri,  who  was  then  agent  of  the  Nashville,  Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  Rail- 
road at  Union  City.  After  about  three  years  Mr.  Edwards  went  to  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  with  the  Associated  Railroads  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Ala- 
bama. He  continued  at  Louisville  for  about  eighteen  months  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  he  remained  for  four  years,  on  the  expira- 
tion of  which  period  he  again  went  to  Union  City,  Tennessee,  to  become  the  suc- 
cessor of  Mr.  Gardner,  for  whom  he  had  first  worked.  He  remained  in  that  position 
for  eleven  years  and  was  then  transferred  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  as  commercial 
agent  for  the  Nashville,  Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  so  continuing  until 
1907,  when  he  resigned  his  position  with  the  railroad  to  enter  the  grain  business 
with  Bert  H.  Lang  &  Company.  After  a  time  he  acquired  an  interest  in  the  busi- 
ness, and  when  Mr.  Lang  resigned  in  1917  to  devote  his  time  to  war  work,  Mr. 
Edwards  took  over  his  interest  and  later  changed  the  name  of  the  firm  to  William 
J.  Edwards  &  Company.  He  has  thus  for  a  number  of  years  figured  prominently 
in  connection  with  the  grain  trade  of  the  city,  controlling  a  business  of  extensive 
proportions. 

In  1896  Mr.  Edwards  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Ella  Lindsey,  who 
died  in  1899,  and  to  them  was  born  a  daughter,  Marjorie,  who  is  at  home  with 
her  father.  In  1903,  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Edwards  wedded  Miss  Grace  Christian, 
daughter  of  John  B.  and  Sarah  Jane  (Beach)  Christian,  of  St.  Louis,  and  the  chil- 
dren of  his  second  marriage  are  William  Christian  and  Joseph  Beach,  aged  respec- 
tively eleven  and  five  years.  Mr.  Edwards  belongs  to  the  King's  Highway  Presby- 
terian church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  elder  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  He  gives  every  possible  moment  to  the  Sunday 
school  work,  and  for  sixteen  years  he  has  never  been  late  at  Sunday  school.  He  has 
been  a  most  potent  factor  in  winning  and  holding  the  attention  of  young  people  and 
thus  contributing  to  their  moral  development,  the  Sunday  school  being  indeed  a 
powerful  element  in  the  moral  progress  of  the  city.  His  deep  and  active  interest  in 
this  work  has  precluded  his  connection  with  club  life.  One  hundred  and  ninety-eight 
young  men  from  his  Sunday  School  served  in  the  World  war,  and  nearly  all  have 
returned  to  his  classes.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat  and  fraternally  he  is  a  Knights 
Templar  and  Scottish  Rite  Mason.  He  is  retiring  president  of  the  St.  Louis  Grain 
Club,  and  one  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  St.  Louis  Merchants'  Exchange.  He 
is  a  man  of  high  ideals  and  natural  refinement  whose  absolute  honesty  of  purpose 
impresses  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact,  and  he  has  ever  merited  and  com- 
manded the  high  respect  and  goodwill  of  ^11  who  know  him. 


JOHN  B.   GOODDING. 


While  John  B.  Goodding  has  passed  away,  he  was  for  many  years  widely  known 
as  a  successful  farmer  and  as  an  enterprising  merchant  of  Macon  county  and  for 
a  considerable  period  prior  to  his  death  was  an  active  representative  of  commercial 
interests  in  La  Plata.  He  was  born  upon  a  farm  near  Atlanta,  Macon  county, 
August  2,  1847,  his  parents  being  Andrew  L.  and  Mary  J.  (Dameron)  Goodding. 
The  grandfather,  Abram  Goodding,  came   to  Missouri   from   Kentucky  in    1817   and 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  211 

settled  with  his  family  in  Howard  county,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  John 
B.  Goodding's  father,  Andrew  L.  Goodding,  was  well  advanced  toward  his  majority 
when  his  parents  came  to  Missouri  and  he  was  reared  in  Howard  county.  In  1846 
he  wedded  Miss  Mary  J.  Cameron,  who  had  formerly  resided  in  Tennessee  and 
belonged  to  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  state.  The  following  year  they 
removed  to  Macon  county,  settling  near  Atlanta,  where  Mr.  Goodding  continued  to 
engage  in  farming  until  his  demise,  which  occurred  in  1859. 

John  B.  Goodding  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  the  farm-bred  boy  upon 
the  old  homestead  near  Atlanta  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  removed  to  Randolph 
county  but  after  four  years,  or  in  1868,  returned  to  the  old  home  place  in  Macon 
county  and  there  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  with  success  for  about 
eleven  years.  In  1879  he  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  deputy  collector  and  filled 
that  position  for  two  years,  or  until  he  established  his  home  in  La  Plata  in  the 
spring  of  1881.  Here  he  joined  the  firm  of  T.  J.  Phipps  &  Company,  having  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  popular  general  merchandise  establishments  throughput 
the  northern  part  of  Macon  and  adjoining  counties.  He  was  a  man  of  good  business 
qualifications,  of  keen  discernment  and  unflagging  enterprise  and  was  justly  popular 
with  all  who  knew  him,  the  sterling  traits  of  his  character  and  his  splendid  manly 
qualities  winning  him  the  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  was  brought  into  contact. 

On  the  22d  of  January,  1874,  Mr.  Goodding  was  married  to  Miss  Melissa  Wills, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  R.  H.  Wills,  one  of  the  early  citizens  of  Macon  county  and  a 
most  highly  esteemed  Presbyterian  minister,  who  removed  to  this  state  from  Ken- 
tucky. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodding  became  the  parents  of  three  children:  Roscoe  B. 
who  is  now  the  president  of  the  Bank  of  La  Plata;  Alma  M.,  now  deceased;  and 
Ethel  G.  Christie. 

Mr.  Goodding  was  a  member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  and  was 
one  of  the  officers  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  While  living  in  Lyda 
township  he  served  as  clerk  for  two  years  and  in  1885  he  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  county  clerk,  entering  upon  the  duties  of  that  position  in  1886  and  serving  in 
all  for  eight  years,  being  thus  continued  in  the  position  by  reelection.  He  was 
likewise  identified  with  the  Bank  of  La  Plata,  in  fact  was  one  of  its  organizers  and 
served  as  vice  president  from  the  beginning  until  the  time  of  his  demise.  He  like- 
wise organized  the  La  Plata  Telephone  Company.  In  fact  he  was  a  man  of  most 
progressive  spirit  who  not  only  recognized  but  utilized  the  opportunities  which 
came  his  way  and  in  all  business  affairs  readily  discriminated  between  the  essential 
and  the  nonessential.  Moreover,  he  had  the  ability  to  bring  unrelated  and  ofttimes 
seemingly  diverse  interests  into  a  connected  and  harmonious  whole.  Death  called 
him  January  30,  1915,  and  throughout  the  passing  years  his  memory  has  been 
revered  and  honored  by  those  who  knew  him.  Many  there  are  who  bear  testimony 
to  the  sterling  worth  of  his  character,  his  integrity  and  enterprise  in  business,  his 
loyalty  and  progressiveness  in  citizenship.  He  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  pioneer 
families  of  the  state  that  had  become  active  in  Missouri's  development  when  this  dis- 
trict was  largely  on  the  frontier,  and  the  work  begun  by  his  grandfather  and  con- 
tinued by  his  father  was  further  maintained  and  promoted  by  him.  Thus  the  name 
of  Goodding  has  through  many  generations  figured  most  conspicuously  and  hon- 
orably in  connection  with  the  history  of  Macon  county  and  the  state. 


WYLIE  CREEL. 


Wylie  Creel,  vice  president  of  the  Lund-Mauldin  Company,  shoe  manufacturers 
of  St.  Louis,  was  born  November  20,  1870,  on  a  farm  twenty  miles  below  Lexington 
in  Lafayette  county,  Missouri.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  Clay  and  Virginia  P.  (Packler) 
Creel.  The  father  was  born  in  Parkersburg,  West  Virginia,  and  during  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  lived  retired,  his  death  occurring  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  in  1906, 
when  he  was  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  was 
the  youngest  member  of  the  Virginia  legislature.  He  put  aside  legislative  duties  to 
join  the  army  and  became  a  captain.  He  is  survived  by  his  widow,  who  resides 
at  No.  1144  Hamilton  Ave.,  St.  Louis.  Two  brothers  of  Wylie  Creel  are  living,  one 
of  these  being  George  Creel,  a  resident  of  New  York,  who  was  director  of  public  in- 
formation during  the  World  war.  The  other.  Dr.  Richard  Henry  Creel,  is  assistant 
surgeon  general  of  the  United  States  Public  Health  Service  and  has  been  on  duty  in 
Cuba  and   the  Philippine   Islands   but  now   lives   in   Washington,   D.   C.     He  is   re- 


212  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

garded  as  an  authority  upon  the  disease  of  cholera.  Wylie  Creel's  parents  removed 
to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  during  his  boyhood,  and  there  he  attended  the  public  and 
high  schools.  During  vacation  periods  he  worked  to  provide  for  his  own  support, 
and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  he  permanently  put  aside  his  textbooks  and  started 
out  in  the  business  world,  traveling  through  Texas  for  the  Corle  Cereal  Company 
of  Kansas  City.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  became  connected  with  the  Proctoi 
&  Gamble  Company,  which  he  represented  in  Texas,  and  later  established  his  head- 
quarters in  St.  Louis,  from  which  point  he  cared  for  the  trade.  He  had  been  with 
that  firm  for  four  years  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  Goddard  &  Peck,  wholesale 
grocers,  whom  he  represented  in  southeastern  Missouri  and  Arkansas  as  a  traveling 
salesman.  He  next  became  associated  with  the  shoe  business,  traveling  out  of  St. 
Louis  for  the  Roberts,  Johnson  &  Rand  Shoe  Company,  with  which  firm  he  con- 
tinued for  fifteen  years.  He  then  became  associated  with  Robert  L.  Lund  in  or- 
ganizing a  shoe  business  on  their  own  account,  and  later  they  were  joined  by 
Thomas  L.  Mauldin  under  the  firm  style  of  the  Lund-Mauldin  Company,  with  offices 
and  sample  rooms  in  the  Silk  Exchange  building.  Their  manufacturing  interests 
were  established  in  Highland,  Illinois,  the  capacity  of  their  plant  there  being  six 
hundred  pairs  of  shoes  daily,  until  the  business  having  outgrown  its  quarters  an 
addition  was  erected  to  the  factory  making  the  present  capacity  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred pairs  of  shoes  per  day.  On  the  1st  of  January  1918,  the  offices  and  display 
rooms  were  removed  to  1101  Washington  avenue,  the  present  location,  larger  quar- 
ters being  secured  as  they  took  over  the  entire  first  floor.  In  February.  1920,  a 
new  factory  was  built  at  Vandalia,  Illinois,  which  has  a  capacity  of  two  thousand 
pairs  of  shoes  daily,  so  that  the  combined  daily  capacity  of  the  two  factories  is 
about  thirty-five  hundred  pairs.  The  Vandalia  plant  is  one  of  the  most  modern 
shoe  factories  in  the  country,  being  thoroughly  equipped  with  the  latest  improved 
machinery  and  every  facility  to  promote  the  comfort  of  employes,  thus  endeavoring 
to  secure  their  best  efforts.  The  company  is  now  capitalized  for  a  million  dollars 
and  is  conducting  a  most  extensive  business  in  the  exclusive  manufacture  of  men's 
dress  shoes-.  Thoroughly  familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  trade,  Mr.  Creel  has 
contributed  much  to  the  growth  and  success  of  the  enterprise,  and  he  is  also  the 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  St.  Louis  Shoe  Manufacturers  and  Wholesalers  Asso- 
ciation. 

On  the  12th  of  December,  1916,  Mr.  Creel  was  married  in  Martinsburg,  West 
Virginia,  to  Miss  Belle  Stewart,  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Amelia  Stewart,  the 
former  for  many  years  a  banker  of  Martinsburg,  where  he  organized  the  Old 
National  Bank,  of  which  he  became  the  president,  so  continuing  until  his  death  in 
1910.  His  widow  survived  him  for  about  two  years,  passing  away  in  1912.  They 
were  natives  of  Virginia  and  representatives  of  an  old  colonial  family. 

Mr.  Creel  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  His  membership  relations 
also  extend  to  the  Sons  of  the  Confederacy,  to  the  Missouri  Athletic  Association,  the 
Glen  Echo  Golf  Club  and  the  City  Club.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the  demo- 
cratic party,  and  in  1919  he  was  president  of  the  twenty-eighth  ward  of  the  Demo- 
cratic Club.  In  July,  1918,  he  went  to  Washington  and  offered  his  services  to  the 
Quartermaster  General,  Robert  H.  Thorn.  He  was  to  be  assigned  to  the  St.  Louis 
office  in  charge  of  the  shoe  division,  but  by  the  time  he  was  commissioned  the 
armistice  was  signed,  and  believing  that  the  country  would  not  then  need  his 
services,  he  declined  a  commission  as  captain.  He  indulges  in  golfing,  hunting  and 
fishing  and  other  outdoor  sports  tor  rest  and  recreation,  but  is  preeminently  a  busi- 
ness man  and  one  who  has  attained  a  high  position  through  his  own  efforts. 


ALBERT  BLAIR. 


While  Albert  Blair  has  continued  in  the  general  practice  of  law  in  St.  Louis 
since  1876,  he  has  largely  specialized  in  corporation  practice  and  his  clientage  of  this 
character  has  been  extensive.  Moreover,  he  has  been  instrumental  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  number  of  important  manufacturing  and  industrial  interests  which  have 
constituted  potent  forces  in  the  business  development  of  the  city.  Mr.  Blair  is  a 
native  of  the  neighboring  state  of  Illinois.  His  father,  William  Blair,  was  born  in 
Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in  1812  and  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  founded 
in  America  in  colonial  days.     Albert's  great-grandfather,  John  Blair,  a  soldier  of  the 


ALBERT  BLAIR 


THl  RIV  T31I 


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CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  215 

Revolutionary  war,  served  under  General  Daniel  Morgan  in  the  expedition  to  Quebec 
in  177  5.  Out  of  admiration  tor  General  Montgomery,  who  fell  in  the  disastrous 
assault  on  the  British  stronghold  at  Quebec,  John  Blair  named  his  oldest  son  William 
Montgomery  Blair.  The  latter,  born  in  Berkley  county,  Virginia,  in  1778,  became 
a  soldier,  pioneer  and  preacher,  moving  first  to  Kentucky,  then  to  Ohio  and  finally 
to  Pike  county,  Illinois.  His  son,  William,  married  Mary  Jackson  in  1835,  to  whom 
Albert  was  born  at  Kinderhook,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  on  the  16th  day  of  October, 
1840.  His  mother,  a  native  of  Oswego  county.  New  York,  born  in  1814,  was  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  Jackson,  a  representative  in  the  fifth  generation  of  Edward 
Jackson,  a  native  of  London,  England,  who  with  his  brother  came  to  America  in 
1638  and  was  one  of  the  first  proprietors  of  the  town  of  Newton,  Massachusetts. 
The  history  of  that  city,  states  that  Edward  Jackson  gave  four-hundred  acres  of 
land  to  Harvard  College. 

The  marriage  of  William  Blair  and  Mary  Jackson  took  place  in  1835.  William 
Blair  was  a  man  of  notable  force  and  ability.  His  aptitude  for  business  and  politics 
was  exemplified  by  a  brief  but  energetic  career.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Black 
Hawk  war,  a  lead  miner  at  Galena,  a  farmer,  merchant,  builder  of  flatboats  and  a 
political  leader.  He  died  in  1845,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two,  at  Springfield,  Illinois, 
while  serving  his  third  term  as  representative  of  Pike  county  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture. Among  his  personal  friends  and  political  associates  were  Douglas,  Richard- 
son, Starne  and  Donaldson,  all  advanced  later  to  political  distinction.  His  widow 
subsequently  became  the  wife  of  James  R.  Williams  of  Barry,  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
where  she  lived  until  November,  1897. 

Between  the  ages  of  six  and  sixteen  years,  Albert  Blair  was  a  pupil  in  the  public 
schools  of  Barry,  Illinois,  and  then  spent  three  years  as  a  student  in  Christian 
University  at  Canton,  Missouri,  and  one  year  in  Phillips  Academy  of  Exeter,  New 
Hampshire.  Entering  Harvard,  he  completed  a  three  years'  course  there  by  gradua- 
tion as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1863.  He  also  remained  at  Harvard  as  a  law 
student  for  a  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  offered  the  position  of  teacher 
of  Latin  in  the  University  of  Missouri  at  Columbia.  Preferring  other  employment, 
however,  he  accepted  a  position  in  the  freight  department  of  the  North  Missouri 
Railroad  Company  at  Macon,  Missouri,  and  thus  served  for  several  years.  His  desire 
to  enter  upon  a  professional  career,  however  led  him  to  become  a  law  student  in  the 
office  of  Williams  &  Henry,  leading  attorneys  of  that  city,  while  at  the  same  time 
he  occupied  the  position  of  secretary  with  the  Keokuk  &  Kansas  City  Railroad  Com- 
pany, which  had  undertaken  the  building  of  a  railroad  from  Keokuk,  Iowa,  to 
Kansas  City.  The  project  succumbed  in  the  widespread  financial  panic  of  1873. 
Mr.  Blair  afterward  spent  a  year  as  land  agent  and  attorney  for  the  old  North 
Missouri  Insurance  Company,  which  also  went  into  bankruptcy.  Having  invested  all 
his  savings  in  the  former  enterprise  and  lost  them,  he  began  his  career  in  St.  Louis 
with   less   than  one   hundred   dollars. 

Undiscouraged,  however,  Mr.  Blair  took  up  the  active  work  of  the  profession 
here  and  has  since  continued  in  general  practice  while  giving  considerable  attention 
to  corporation  law.  He  is  thoroughly  qualified  along  the  latter  line  and  his  practice 
of  this  character  has  been  important.  He  has  aided  in  the  organization  and  pro- 
motion of  various  companies  which  have  figured  prominently  in  the  business  develop- 
ment of  St.  Louis.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  American  Brake  Company; 
the  Chicago  Railway  Equipment  Company;  the  Missouri  Electric  Light  &  Power 
Company  and  the  Wagner  Electric  Manufacturing  Company.  He  has  also  become 
connected  with  several  other  important  business  concerns. 

Mr.  Blair  was  married  February  2,  1907,  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  to  Mrs. 
Clara  Urquhart  Spencer,  whose  death  occurred  in  1918.  She  was  a  native  of  St. 
Louis  and  a  daughter  of  George  Urquhart,  who  for  many  years  was  vice  president 
of  the  Plant  Seed  Company  of  this  city. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Blair  has  ever  been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  republican  prin- 
ciples and  in  1898,  was  a  candidate  of  his  party  for  the  state  senate,  on  which 
occasion  he  succeeded  in  reducing  the  usual  democratic  majority  from  two  thousand 
to  one  thousand  two  hundred.  He  has  always  stood  for  clean  politics  and  progres- 
sive methods  in  relation  to  municipal,  state  and  national  affairs.  He  was  one  of 
the  committee  which  drafted  the  act  of  the  Missouri  legislature,  providing  the 
Australian  ballot  method  in  holding  elections  and  also  of  the  committee  which 
brought  about  the  adoption  of  the  Corrupt  Practices  Act  of  the  State  of  Missouri. 
For  several  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Missouri  Civil  Service  Reform  Assocla- 


216  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OE  MISSOURI 

tion.  The  nature  of  his  interests  is  further  indicated  iq  his  connection  with  the 
Missouri  Historical  Society;  the  Law  Library  Association;  the  Missouri  Bar  Associa- 
tion and  the  American  Bar  Association.  He  has  ever  been  keenly  interested  in  litera- 
ture, to  which  he  has  largely  devoted  his  leisure. 

By  reason  of  the  superiority  of  its  apple  products,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  as  well 
as  its  more  famous  neighbor,  Calhoun  county  is  noted  for  its  large  commercial 
orchards.  For  many  years,  Mr.  Blair  has  been  interested  in  the  growth  of  apples 
and  is  one  of  the  principal  owners  of  the  Williams  orchards,  situated  near  Barry, 
Pike  county,  Illinois. 


J.   N.    CARTER. 


J.  N.  Carter,  cashier  of  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank  of  Linneus,  was  born 
in  Randolph  county,  Missouri,  in  1886.  He  is  therefore  still  a  comparatively  young 
man  and  has  made  for  himself  a  creditable  position  in  the  financial  circles  of  his 
section  of  the  state.  His  parents,  Isaac  M.  and  Mary  J.  Carter,  are  also  natives  of 
Missouri  and  the  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  until  his  death  in   1906. 

J.  N.  Carter  spent  his  youthful  days  in  his  native  county  and  supplemented  his 
early  education,  acquired  in  the  district  schools,  by  study  in  Pritchett  College  at 
Glasgow,  Missouri,  of  which  U.  S.  Hall  was  at  that  time  president.  He  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1906,  after  which  he  took  up  abstract  work  at  Huntsville, 
Missouri,  in  connection  with  J.  N.  Hamilton.  Later  he  removed  to  Linneus  and 
joined  the  Linn  County  Abstract  Company,  with  which  he  was  identified  until  1911, 
when  he  entered  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank  as  assistant  cashier,  filling  that 
position  until  February  28,  1919,  when  he  was  elected  cashier.  In  the  year  or  more 
in  which  he  has  acted  in  this  capacity  he  has  proved  a  most  capable  official,  always 
courteous  and  obliging,  doing  everything  possible  for  the  patrons  of  the  bank  that 
does  not  hazard  the  interests  of  the  depositors.  The  bank  was  incorporated  in 
1909  as  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank  and  has  a  capital  stock  of  thirty  thousand 
dollars,  surplus  and  undivided  profits  of  twenty-six  thousand,  one  hundred  and 
eighty-nine  dollars,  and  deposits  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand,  one  hundred 
and  ninety  dollars.  Its  officers  are:  F.  L.  Fitch,  president;  Lee  Meyer  and  W.  B. 
Craig,  vice  presidents;   J.  N.  Carter,  cashier;   and  V.   B.  Clark,  assistant  cashier. 

On  the  19th  of  November,  1910,  Mr.  Carter  was  married  to  Miss  Norma  Pipes, 
of  Browning,  Missouri.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  politically  with  the  democratic  party  and  religiously 
with  the  Methodist  church.  South,  and  in  these  associations  are  indicated  much  of 
the  nature  of  his  interests  and  the  rules  that  govern  his  conduct. 


JAMES  E.    DAME. 


James  E.  Dame,  who  for  nineteen  years  has  engaged  in  law  practice  and  is 
now  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Hall  &  Dame  with  offices  in  the  Central  National  Bank 
Building,  in  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Princeton.  Indiana,  December  29,  1872.  His 
father,  Daniel  Webster  Dame,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  October  23,  1840,  and  the 
grandfather  was  also  a  native  of  that  state.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  stock 
raiser  and  gave  his  attention  to  that  business  throughout  his  active  life.  He  served 
as  recruiting  officer  in  the  latter  part  of  the  Civil  war,  and  had  a  brother  who 
served  in  the  Confederate  army.  Daniel  W.  Dame  wedded  Agnes  McMillan,  a 
daughter  of  Washington  and  Mary  (Wood)  McMillan,  the  former  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation. The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dame  was  celebrated  in  Princeton,  Indi- 
ana, December  8,  1870,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  two  sons  and  six  daughters. 
James  E.  is  the  eldest  son.  The  others  are  Nelia,  who  is  the  wife  of  Richard  Work,  a 
newspaper  man;  Melissa,  the  wife  of  Heber  Hollis.  a  miller;  Anna,  the  wife  of 
Oscar  Lucas,  a  farmer  and  ranchman  of  Colorado;  Vincent  S.  who  is  a  farmer  and 
married  Eunice  Lathorn;  Esther  and  Ruth  who  are  school  teachers;  and  Martha 
at  home. 

James  E.  Dame  obtained  a  grammar  school  education  and  also  attended  private 
schools   in   Indiana,   before  entering  Wabash   College  at   Crawfordsville,   Indiana,   in 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  217 

1891.  He  there  pursued  a  four  years'  course  and  was  graduated  with  the  Bachelor 
of  Arts  degree  in  June,  1895.  He  took  up  the  profession  of  teaching  and  was 
superintendent  of  schools  at  Owensville,  Indiana,  tor  a  year,  but  he  regarded  this 
merely  as  an  initial  step  to  other  professional  labor  and  in  1896  entered  Washing- 
ton University,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1899  with  the  LL.  B.  degree.  The 
same  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  state  and  federal  courts  and  for  eighteen  months 
thereafter  acted  as  a  salesman.  It  was  not  until  1901  that  he  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  law.  He  has  since  concentrated  his  efforts  upon  his  professional  duties 
and  is  now  engaged  in  general  practice  as  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Hall  and  Dame. 
He  prepares  his  cases  with  great  thoroughness,  care  and  precision  and  is  today 
recognized  as  one  of  the  strong  and  able  lawyers  of  the  St.  Louis  bar,  finding  ready 
solution  for  intricate  and  involved  legal  problems.  In  1903  the  Master  of  Arts 
degree  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Wabash  College,  of  Crawfordsville,  Indiana. 
From  1901  until  1906  he  served  in  the  juvenile  court  as  assistant  probation  officer 
and  did  important  work  in  that  connection.  During  the  war  period  he  served  on 
the  Legal  advisory  board  of  the  twenty-eighth  ward  and  took  an  active  and  helpful 
interest  in  all  war  activities. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1910,  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Dame  was  married  to  Miss 
Lila  Belle  Gelwicks,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  R.  and  Margaret  (Donnelly)  Gelwicks. 
They  have  become  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  James  E.,  Jr.; 
Richard  G.;  Lila  Belle;  Frank  Stormont;  and  Margaret  Donnelly. 

Mr.  Dame  belongs  to  the  Delta  Tau  Delta,  a  Greek  letter  fraternity,  and  is  also 
Identified  with  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  Something  of  the  nature  of  his 
interests  and  recreation  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  he  is  connected  with  the  Normandie 
Golf  Club  and  the  City  Club.  Along  strictly  professional  lines  he  is  connected  with 
the  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  American  Bar  Associations.  His  political  endorsement 
is  given  to  the  democratic  party  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  United  Pres- 
byterian church,  his  first  membership  being  at  Princeton,  Indiana.  He  is  loyal  to 
high  ideals  and  conducts  his  practice  along  most  ethical  lines,  while  the  sterling 
worth  of  his  character  is  recognized  by  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


CHARLKS  E.  SMITH. 


Charles  E.  Smith,  vice  president  of  the  Kansas  City  Title  &  Trust  Company, 
was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  July  17,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  I.  L.  and 
Harriet  (King)  Smith,  who  were  also  natives  of  Somerset  county,  and  both  have 
now  passed  away.  The  father  was  clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  for  ten  years  in  Story 
county,  Iowa,  and  then  engaged  in  the  abstract  and  title  business  in  Nevada,  Iowa, 
for  a  number  of  years  with  his  son  Charles  B.  Smith.  He  served  his  country  as  a 
soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  volunteering  in  Pennsylvania  and  becoming  captain  of  his 
company.  He  was  afterwards  a  valued  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic and  belonged  also  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  attained  the  Knights 
Templar  degree.  His  life  was  guided  by  the  teachings  of  the  Baptist  church,  in 
which  he  held  membership.  To  him  and  his  wife  were  born  seven  sons,  of  whom 
three  are  living. 

In  the  attainment  of  his  education  Charles  E.  Smith  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  county.  No  unusual  event  occurred  during  the  period  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  which  was  passed  In  the  usual  manner  of  the  lad  whose  attention  is 
largely  directed  to  the  acquirement  of  an  education,  to  such  duties  as  are  assigned 
by  parental  authority  and  to  the  pleasures  of  the  playground.  Since  starting  out  in 
the  business  world  he  has  made  wise  use  of  his  time  and  opportunities,  having  been 
the  founder  of  the  Abstract  Loans  and  Real  Estate  business  in  Nevada,  Iowa,  for 
seventeen  years  before  coming  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  where  he  has  since  gradually 
advanced  until  he  is  now  well  known  in  the  financial  circles  of  Kansas  City  as  vice 
president  of  the  Kansas  City  Title  &  Trust  Company,  which  was  organized  in  1915 
and  occupies  spacious  offices  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  New  York  Life  building. 
This  company  is  capitalized  for  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  and  is  a 
combine  of  all  the  abstract  companies  of  Kansas  City.  Their  clientage  is  most 
extensive  and  the  business  is  one  which  returns  a  substantial  profit  to  the  stock- 
holders. 

In  1885  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Susie  E.  Gillespie,  of 
Nevada,    Iowa,    and   they    have   become   the   parents   of   three   children:    Mrs.    J.    F. 


218  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI- 

Bresnahan,  of  Chicago,  who  has  one  daughter,  Susan  Ann;  Mrs.  Kendall  Marsh," 
of  New  Tork  city,  who  has  a  son,  Fennimore  Cooper  (II);  and  Harriet  M.,  who 
is  living  with  her  parents.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Woman's  City  Club 
of  Kansas  City,  also  of  the  P.  E.  O.  and  the  Athenaeum  and  is  very  active  in  club 
work  and  in  social  and  philanthropic  organizations.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Kansas  City  Club  and  gives  his  support  to  all 
those  agencies  which  make  for  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  city.  His 
political  endorsement  is  given  the  republican  party,  and  while  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  he  never  seeks  office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his 
efforts  upon  his  constantly  growing  business  affairs,  which  have  placed  him  in  a 
commanding  position  among  the  leading  financiers  and  business  men  of  western 
Missouri. 


E.  LANSING  RAY. 


It  Is  not  only  through  his  connection  with  one  of  the  leading  American  jour- 
nals that  E.  Lansing  Ray  is  brought  into  close  touch  with  the  vital  problems,  con- 
ditions and  interests  of  the  country  but  through  personal  activity  as  well  in  sup- 
port of  all  civic  and  charitable  movements  and  of  those  projects  which  he  deems  a 
forward  step  in  the  world's  development.  A  native  of  St.  Louis,  he  was  born  August 
30,  1884,  a  son  of  Simeon  and  Jessie  (Lansing)  Ray.  The  father,  a  native  of 
Hennepin,  Illinois,  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  while  the  mother,  who  was  born 
in  Palmyra,  Missouri,  was  of  Dutch-English  lineage.  The  former,  having  faithfully 
served  his  country  in  the  Civil  war,  was  afterward  an  honored  member  of  Ransom 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  while  In  journalistic  circles  his  name  was  long  a  potent  force,  as 
he  was  the  business  manager,  secretary  and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Globe 
Democrat   for  many  years   prior   to   his   death,   which   occurred   in    1891. 

E.  Lansing  Ray  pursued  his  preparatory  course  in  Smith  Academy  at  St. 
Louis,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  June,  1902.  He  passed  the  examinations 
for  entrance  to  Princeton  University  but  turned  his  attention  to  business  before 
matriculating.  Throughout  the  entire  intervening  period  he  has  given  his  atten- 
tion to  the  interests  of  the  Globe  Printing  Company,  publishers  of  the  St.  Louis 
Globe  Democrat.  He  started  as  an  employe  of  the  paper  when  eighteen  years 
of  age,  waiting  on  the  front  counter,  selling  papers,  answering  telephone  calls 
and  proving  himself  generally  useful  wherever  he  was  needed.  Subsequently  he 
worked  his  way  upward  through  various  departments,  acquiring  a  general  knowl- 
edge of  the  newspaper  business.  In  1904  he  was  made  cashier  and  in  1905  adver- 
tising manager.  In  the  latter  year  he  also  became  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors 
and  in  1910  was  chosen  secretary  of  the  company.  After  five  years  passed  in  that 
connection  he  was  made  vice  president  in  1915,  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  gen- 
eral manager  in  April,  1918,  and  since  December  of  that  year  has  been  president, 
editor  and  general  manager  of  the  company,  which  positions  he  now  fills,  being  in 
absolute  control  of  the  Globe  Democrat  both  as  to  its  editorial  and  business  policy. 
It  would  be  superfluous  in  this  connection  to  enter  into  any  series  of  statements 
showing  the  standing  of  the  paper  in  journalistic  circles.  It  has  long  been  recognized 
as  one  of  the  most  potent  dailies  published  on  the  American  continent — the  champion 
of  every  worthy  American  enterprise  and  the  supporter  of  many  of  the  most  impor- 
tant policies  of  the  country  the  worth  of  which  has  been  demonstrated  by  time.  Mr. 
Ray  is  a  director  of  the  American  Trust  Company  of  St.  Louis,  and  also  a  director 
of  the  St.  Louis  Convention  &  Publicity  Bureau,  a  civic  and  public  enterprise.  In 
politics  he  has  always  been  a  republican  but  has  ever  placed  general  welfare  before 
partisanship,  believing  that  the  good  of  the  city,  the  state  and  the  country  should 
come  first  and  party  interests  second. 

On  the  25th  of  January,  1910,  Mr.  Ray  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Hayes  Burk- 
ham,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elzey  G.  Burkham  and  a  granddaughter  of  Elzey 
Burkham,  who  was  prominent  in  the  banking  circles  of  New  York  city  in  the  decades 
from  the  '50s  to  the  '80s  inclusive.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ray  have  one  son,  E.  Lansing 
Ray,  Jr.,  now  nine  years  of  age. 

The  name  of  E.  Lansing  Ray  is  found  on  the  membership  rolls  of  the  lead- 
ing clubs  and  civic  organizations  of  St.  Louis.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Noonday, 
St.  Louis  Country,  Racquet,  Bellerive  Country,  University,  St.  Louis  Club,  Century 


E.  LANSING  RAY 


THE  ^£W  !0M 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  221 

Boat  Club,  Missouri  Athletic,  City  and  Rotary  Clubs,  also  the  St.  Louis  Commercial 
Club,  Contemporary  Club  and  the  St.  Louis  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Of  Presby- 
terian faith,  his  membership  is  with  the  Central  Presbyterian  church  of  St.  Louis, 
and  he  is  most  keenly  interested  in  civic  and  charitable  movements  seeking  the 
benefit  and  uplift  of  the  individual  and  the  advancement  of  community  interests. 
It  would  be  tautological  in  this  connection  to  enter  into  any  series  of  statements 
showing  him  to  be  a  prominent  and  forceful  figure  in  journalistic  circles.  His  posi- 
tion is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  was  invited  by  the  British  and  French  govern- 
ments to  be  one  of  a  party  of  twelve  American  editors  and  publishers  to  make  a  trip 
during  September,  October  and  November,  1918,  to  Europe  to  see  first  hand  and 
investigate  all  aspects  of  the  war  situation.  This  trip  included  the  inspection  of 
various  munitions  factories,  shipyards,  hospitals,  the  grand  fleet  and  the  battle 
area  in  France  from  the  channel  to  St.  Mihiel  and  also  interviews  with  King 
George,  President  Polncaire,  Marshal  Joffre  and  distinguished  military  leaders, 
statesmen,  editors  and  business  men;  and  the  world  has  received  the  benefit  of 
this  tour  of  inspection  made  by  Mr.  Ray  through  his  editorials  in  the  Globe 
Democrat. 


GUSTAV  CRAMER.. 


A  life  of  great  activity  and  usefulness  was  brought  to  a  close  when  Gustav 
Cramer  responded  to  the  call  of  the  grim  reaper  in  1914.  Never  content  with 
mediocrity,  he  had  a  nature  which  strove  at  all  times  for  efficiency  and  perfection 
in  the  lines  to  which  he  directed  his  efforts,  and  his  successful  achievements  made 
him  one  of  the  most  prominent  dry  plate  manufacturers  of  the  country,  his  name 
being  a  familiar  one  to  every  professional  and  amateur  photographer  of  America. 
There  is  much  that  is  stimulating  and  encouraging  in  his  career,  constituting  an 
example  that  may  well  be  followed  by  the  ambitious  American  youth.  Mr.  Cramer 
was  born  in  Eschwege,  Germany,  May  20,  1838,  and  while  spending  his  boyhood 
days  in  the  home  of  his  parents,  Emanuel  and  Dorothea  (Vieweger)  Cramer,  he  at- 
tended the  local  schools  and  early  manifested  great  interest  in  the  study  of  chemis- 
try and  physics.  He  availed  himself  of  every  opportunity  to  promote  his  knowl- 
edge along  those  lines  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  for  his  successes  of  later  years. 
He  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  when  he  was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  and 
turned  his  attention  to  commercial  pursuits.  Attracted  by  the  opportunities  of 
the  new  world,  he  came  to  America  in  1859  and  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  where 
his  brother,  John  Frederick  Cramer,  had  already  located.  Here  he  took  up  the 
study  of  photography  under  the  direction  of  John  A.  Scholten,  then  the  leading 
representative  of  the  art  in  the  city  and  one  of  the  earliest  friends  of  Mr.  Cramer. 
The  work  was  most  congenial  and  in  1860  he  began  business  on  his  own  account 
by'  opening  a  photographic  studio.  He  was  rapidly  building  up  a  good  business 
when  in  1861  President  Lincoln  issued  his  call  for  volunteer  troops  to  crush  out 
rebellion  in  the  south  and  under  the  three  months'  term  of  enlistment  he  became 
a  sergeant  of  Company  A,  Third  Missouri  Volunteer  Infantry,  the  company  being 
commanded  by  his  brother.  Captain  Cramer,  and  the  regiment  by  Colonel  Franz 
Sigel.  Gustav  Cramer  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Carthage,  Missouri,  and  upon  the 
expiration  of  his  three  months'  term  again  opened  a  photographic  studio  in  St. 
Louis.  In  1864  he  organized  the  firm  of  Cramer  &  Gross  by  entering  into  partner- 
ship with  J.  Gross,  and  in  the  conduct  of  the  gallery  they  kept  abreast  with  the 
latest  improved  processes  of  photographic  art.  The  excellent  work  which  they  did 
secured  for  them  the  patronage  of  the  leading  people  of  St.  Louis,  for  Mr.  Cramer 
not  only  possessed  knowledge  of  the  scientific  principles  of  his  work  but  also  a  keen 
artistic  sense  which  enabled  him  to  recognize  the  value  of  light  and  shade  and  pose. 
Marvelous  development  was  being  manifested  In  the  photographic  art  during  this 
period  and  Mr.  Cramer  was  a  constant  student  of  improved  processes.  In  1880  he 
became  associated  with  H.  Norden,  under  the  firm  style  of  Cramer  &  Norden,  for 
the  purpose  of  manufacturing  photographic  dry  plates,  being  among  the  first  in 
the  country  to  introduce  this  new  improvement  in  photography,  an  innovation 
which  has  since  revolutionized  the  entire  art.  They  had  many  obstacles  to  over- 
come in  the  beginning,  but  their  indomitable  energy  and  resourcefulness  enabled 
them  to  more  than  realize  their  expectations  and  their  manufacture  of  dry  plates 


222  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

has  grown  to  large  proportions.  The  establishment,  of  which  Mr.  Cramer  was  the 
head  when  it  came  into  existence,  is  today  one  of  the  most  famous  enterprises  of 
its  kind  in  the  United  States.  Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  its 
products  are  known,  Cramer  plates  having  won  a  world-wide  reputation  by  reason 
of  their  excellence,  as  is  manifest  in  their  extensive  use  by  both  amateur  and  pro- 
fessional photographers.  The  business  was  originally  conducted  under  the  name 
of  the  G.  Cramer  Dry  Plate  Works,  but  was  afterward  incorporated  as  the  G.  Cramer 
Dry  Plate  Company,  with  Mr.  Cramer  of  this  review  as  the  president.  He  con- 
tinued at  the  head  of  the  business  until  his  demise  in  1914,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  F.  Ernest  Cramer,  who  had  previously  been  the  treasurer  of  the 
company.  Gustav  Cramer  was  honored  with  the  presidency  of  the  Photographers' 
Association  of  America  and  presided  over  its  convention  in  Chicago  in   1887. 

In  1882  Mr.  Cramer  was  united  In  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Rodel  Milentz,  of 
St.  Louis,  who  was  born  in  New  York  city.  Their  three  sons,  F.  Ernest,  Emil  Rodel 
and  G.  Adolph,  became  associated  with  their  father  in  the  ownership  and  manage- 
ment of  the  business  of  the  G.  Cramer  Dry  Plate  Company.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cramer 
also  reared  an  adopted  daughter,  Mrs.  Mathilda  Besch. 

A  most  kindly  and  benevolent  spirit  and  broad  humanitarian  principles 
prompted  Gustav  Cramer  to  constantly  extend  a  helping  hand  where  aid  was 
needed.  He  was  a  member  of  the  supervisory  board  of  charitable  penal  institu- 
tions of  St.  Louis,  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  St.  Louis  Provident 
Association  and  a  director  of  the  German  Protestant  Orphans'  Home.  He  aided  In 
founding  the  St.  Louis  Altenheim,  a  home  for  the  aged,  conducted  by  former  resi- 
dents of  Germany,  and  wherever  he  could  prove  helpful  to  his  fellowmen  his  aid 
was  never  withheld.  For  many  decades  he  was  an  exemplary  member  of  Erwin 
Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  A  contemporary  writer  has  said  of  him  "All  through  his 
life  he  enjoyed  the  respect  of  intelligent  men  and  the  love  of  little  children,  and 
he  moreover  won  the  lasting  gratitude  of  many  to  whom  in  substantial  measure  he 
indicated   his   belief  in   the   brotherhood   of   man." 


PHILIP   SHERIDAN   BROWN,   Jr. 

Philip  Sheridan  Brown,  Jr.,  well  known  in  Kansas  City  as  an  insurance  and  invest- 
ment broker,  has  also  figured  prominently  in  connection  with  public  affairs  and  his 
efforts  have  constituted  an  element  of  municipal  progress  and  improvement.  Born  in 
Kansas  City,  December  25,  1866.  he  is  a  representative  of  an  old  family  of  Maryland, 
tracing  his  ancestry  back  through  several  generations  to  Jacob  Brown,  who  was  born  in 
that  state,  then  a  colony,  in  November,  1750,  coming  of  English  and  German  parentage. 
In  a  collateral  branch  the  ancestral  line  is  also  traced  back  to  Abram  Shelly,  who 
came  from  Holland  to  the  new  world  about  1690  and  settled  near  Philadelphia,  Penn- 
sylvania. On  the  distaff  side  Philip  S.  Brown,  Jr.,  is  descended  from  William  Shaffer, 
who  was  born  in  1811,  and  also  from  Frederick  Hileman,  whose  birth  occurred  in  York 
county,  Pennsylvania,  January  30,  1788.  The  Brown,  Shelly,  Shaffer  and  Hileman  families 
were  all  early  settlers  of  Pennsylvania,  where  many  representatives  held  public  office 
in  early  colonial  times  and  after  the  organization  of  the  republic.  Among  their 
descendants  were  those  who  became  factors  in  the  pioneer  settlement  and  upbuilding 
of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Missouri. 

Philip  S.  Brown,  Sr.,  who  has  now  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years, 
came  to  Kansas  City  in  1858  and  here  still  makes  his  home,  one  of  the  most  honored 
and  venerable  residents  of  Missouri's  western  metropolis. 

His  son  and  namesake,  Philip  S.  Brown,  Jr.,  was  a  pupil  in  the  ward  schools  of 
Kansas  City  and  afterward  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  with  the  class  of  1883. 
Immediately  afterward,  although  only  sixteen  years  of  age  at  the  time,  he  entered  the 
Are  insurance  business  as  local  agent  and  has  continuously  been  connected  with  this 
field  of  activity  yet  has  also  extended  his  labors  into  other  lines,  including  real  estate 
and  property  investments.  His  business  affairs  have  constantly  broadened  in  scope 
and  importance  and  he  is  now  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Brown,  Mann  &  Barnum,  which 
was  organized  in  1905  and  is  known  throughout  the  country  as  one  of  the  strongest 
and  most  successful  organizations  of  this  character  in  Missouri.  Mr.  Brown  displays 
marked  initiative,  keen  insight  into  business  problems  and  the  faculty  of  separating 
the  essential  elements  of  any  business  projects  from  its  inconsequential  phases. 


PHILIP  S.  BROWN,. Jr. 


Vol.  111—15 


THE  NIW  TOKr 
fl?BI.iCLI^?URY 


A3T<^,  L9HQI  AN» 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  AIISSOURI  225 

While  prominently  known  as  a  business  man,  Mr.  Brown  also  has  gained  rating 
with  the  leading  and  valued  residents  o£  Kansas  City  by  reason  of  his  active  public 
and  political  work.  Since  attaining  his  majority  his  support  has  been  given  to  the 
republican  party  and  he  has  long  wielded  wide  influence  in  its  circles.  He  served  as  a 
member  of  the  lower  house  of  the  city  council  from  1894  until  1896  and  was  then  elected 
to  the  upper  house  for  a  four  years'  term.  Throughout  the  great  constructive  period 
in  connection  with  municipal  affairs,  extending  from  1904  until  1908,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  public  works  and  one  of  the  water  commissioners.  While  serving  in 
the  city  council  the  splendid  park  and  boulevard  system  was  laid  out,  the  gi'ounds 
condemned  and  construction  work  begun.  Mr.  Brown  was  made  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee on  parks  and  public  grounds  and  in  this  connection  worked  untiringly  for  the 
promotion  and  consummation  of  all  these  improvements,  and  it  is  largely  due  to  his 
efforts  that  there  came  into  force  the  general  ordinances  systematizing  the  planting 
and  care  of  the  now  beautiful  shade  trees  which  extend  for  many  miles  along  the  princi- 
pal residence  streets.  He  was  also  an  early  advocate  of  small  parks  for  children's 
playgrounds  and  looks  at  all  of  these  vital  questions  from  a  broad  standpoint  of  civic 
beauty  and  civic  improvement. 

Aside  from  his  labors  in  Kansas  City,  Mr.  Brown  has  been  recognized  for  many 
years  as  a  leader  of  his  party  in  the  state  and  from  1900  until  1906  was  a  member 
of  the  executive  committee  of  the  republican  state  central  committee  of  Missouri. 
He  was  also  chairman  of  the  congressional  committee  of  the  fifth  district  and  chairman 
of  the  central  committee  of  Jackson  county  during  the  presidential  campaign  of  1904 
and  for  two  years  thereafter. 

On  the  13th  of  August,  1908,  Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Edith  A. 
Wolf,  who  was  born  August  6,  1887,  in  Kansas  City,  where  her  parents,  Samuel  and 
Margaret  (Sullivan)  Wolf,  took  up  their  abode  at  an  early  day.  Their  home,  which  is 
one  of  the  attractive  places  of  the  city,  contains  a  very  fine  library  and  to  this  Mr. 
Brown  largely  turns  for  recreation.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  systematic  and  organized 
reading  and  finds  one  of  his  chief  sources  of  pleasure  in  the  companionship  of  the 
men  of  master  minds  of  all  ages.  He  belongs  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Kansas 
City  and  is  a  life  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  From  early 
manhood  he  has  held  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  he  has  always  been  a 
generous  contributor  to  benevolent  and  charitable  projects,  continuously  extending  a  help- 
ing hand  to  the  needy  yet  guiding  his  charity  at  all  times  by  that  sound  judgment 
which  readily  recognizes  the  line  between  fostering  vagrancy  and  promoting  self-help. 
He  has  ever  been  a  believer  in  giving  to  each  individual  the  opportunity  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  best  that  is  in  him,  and  throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  held  to  the 
highest  civic  as  well  as  business  and  personal  standards. 


ARCHIE   E.   WATSON. 


Archie  E.  Watson,  attorney  at  law.  who  entered  upon  active  practice  in  189  0 
and  who  now  follows  his  profession  in  Kansas  City,  was  born  November  21,  18  63, 
at  Alliance,  Ohio,  his  parents  being  James  and  Mary  ISlaven)  Watson.  The  father 
was  also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state  and  was  of  Scotch  descent  in  the  paternal 
and  maternal  lines,  his  parents  coming  to  the  new  world  from  Scotland.  They 
were  married  soon  after  their  arrival  and  established  their  home  in  Ohio,  where 
James  Watson  was  born  and  reared.  After  reaching  adult  age  he  devoted  his  life 
to  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  married  Mary  Slaven,  also  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
of  Scotch  and  Irish  descent. 

Archie  E.  Watson  was  educated  in  the  country  schools  of  Ohio  and  in  the 
public  schools  of  Kansas,  being  quite  young  when  he  went  with  his  parents  to  the 
latter  state  in  1870,  arriving  there  when  a  lad  of  but  seven  years.  Prom  1881  until 
1885  he  was  a  student  in  the  University  of  Kansas  and  prepared  for  his  professional 
career  as  a  law  student  in  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  which  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  LL.  B.  degree  in  1890.  In  the  same  year  he  was  admitted  to 
practice  at  the  bar  of  that  state  and  following  his  return  to  Kansas  was  licensed  to 
practice  in  the  courts  of  the  Sunflower  state.  He  entered  upon  the  general  practice 
of  law  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  and  there  remained  until  1905,  becoming  well 
known   in   the  profession  as  a  member  of  the   firm  of  McGrew,  Watson   &  Watson. 


226  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

In  1905  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  became  associated  with  the  Aetna  Lite  In- 
surance Company  and  engaged  in  looking  after  all  of  its  legal  matters  in  connection 
with  the  liability  business.  He  remained  with  the  Aetna  until  June,  1917,  at  which 
time  he  resigned  his  position  and  became  a  resident  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  Here 
he  joined  Louis  C.  Boyle  in  the  general  practice  of  law.  During  the  war  period 
their  business  with  lumbermen  made  It  necessary  for  Mr.  Boyle  to  be  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  where  they  maintain  an  office.  Mr.  Watson  remained  in  Kansas  City 
to  care  for  their  practice  and  has  had  charge  of  many  important  litigated  interests. 

In  1905,  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  Mr.  Watson  was  married  to  Miss  Capitola 
Robaugh  and  they  have  become  parents  of  a  son,  Ralph  A.,  now  twelve  years  of 
age.  Mrs.  Watson's  people  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  at  an  early  day  be- 
came residents  of  Wyandotte,  Kansas,  casting  in  their  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  that  district.  They  saw  much  trouble  with  the  Indians  and  contributed  to  the 
early  development  and  progress  of  the  section  in  which  they  lived. 

Mr.  Watson  belongs  to  the  Beta  Theta  Pi,  a  college  fraternity,  and  also  to  the 
Phi  Delta  Phi,  a  legal  fraternity.  He  is  very  fond  of  hunting  and  has  made  a  num- 
ber of  trips  for  big  game  into  Colorado,  Arkansas,  the  Indian  Territory  and  other 
sections,  and  has  secured  many  trophies  of  his  skill. 


COLONEL  JOHN  ROBERT  BLACKWOOD. 

Colonel  John  Robert  Blackwood,  now  serving  for  the  second  term  as  post- 
master of  Hannibal,  has  devoted  much  of  his  life  to  public  service  and  over  the 
record  of  his  official  career  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil. 
He  was  at  one  time  a  well  known  figure  in  congressional  circles  at  Washington, 
where  for  sixteen  years  he  was  secretary  to  Hon.  James  T.  Lloyd.  Colonel  Black- 
wood is  a  native  of  La  Grange,  Lewis  county,  Missouri.  He  was  born  in  1852  of 
the  marriage  of  Joseph  and  Kittie  Blackwood,  the  latter  dying  when  her  son  was 
but  two  weeks  old.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  came  to  Missouri  in 
the  'I^Os.  A  carpenter  by  trade,  he  followed  that  pursuit  throughout  his  active 
life. 

Upon  his  mother's  death  Colonel  Blackwood  was  taken  to  the  home  of  an  aunt, 
by  whom  he  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  Marion  county,  Missouri,  acquiring  a  com- 
mon school  education  there.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising, which  he  followed  at  different  periods  in  Schuyler  and  Shelby  counties, 
Missouri,  continuing  in  the  business  ten  years.  He  then  disposed  of  his  stock  and 
removed  to  Hannibal,  where  he  accepted  a  position  with  one  of  the  leading  clothing 
firms  of  the  city,  with  whom  he  remained  for  fifteen  years.  He  next  accepted  the 
position  of  secretary  to  Hon.  James  T.  Lloyd  and  for  sixteen  years  remained  in  the 
national  capital,  or  from  1899  until  the  latter  part  of  1914.  He  led  a  very  busy  life 
during  that  period.  On  going  to  Washington  he  immediately  made  a  study  of  the 
different  departments  of  government  and  was  perhaps  more  familiar  with  the  work 
of  and  had  a  greater  acquaintance  with  the  heads  of  the  various  offices  than  any 
other  secretary  in  Washington,  being  continuously  called  upon  by  the  new  members 
of  congress  for  information  concerning  the  various  departments.  Appreciation 
of  his  knowledge,  courtesy  and  helpfulness  was  shown  when  he  was  tendered  a 
banquet  by  the  leading  secretaries  before  taking  his  departure  from  Washington. 
He  resigned  his  position  in  1914  and  returned  to  Hannibal,  where  he  was  later 
appointed  postmaster,  and  since  that  date  has  most  efficiently  discharged  the  duties 
of  the  position,  serving  now  for  the  second  term.  Throughout  the  entire  period 
there  has  been  a  steady  increase  in  all  branches  of  the  business  at  the  postoffice  and 
he  has  given  to  the  public  excellent  service  in  the  care,  distribution  and  forwarding 
of  the  mails  and  all  other  work  connected  with  the  office. 

In  1885  Colonel  Blackwood  was  married  to  Miss  Addie  Reed,  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  T.  W.  Reed,  of  Macon,  Missouri,  both  he  and  his  wife  being  natives  of  Kentucky. 
Colonel  Blackwood  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  he  also  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  church.  South,  in  which  he  is  an  earnest  worker.  His  political  allegiance 
is  given  to  the  democratic  party.  He  was  one  of  the  principal  workers  in  the  Lib- 
erty Loan  drives  and  was  chairman  of  sales  of  the  Victory  Loan,  while  in  the  first 
and  fourth  drives  he  was  captain  of  a  team  that  went  over  the  top.  He  also  acted 
as  chairman  for  the  county  on  the  War  Thrift  Savings  Stamps.      He  is  a  member  of 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  2-21 

the  entertainment  committee  and  chairman  ot  one  of  the  subcommittees  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  actively  cooperating  with  that  organization  in  its 
efforts  to  promote  the  growth  of  Hannibal,  to  extend  its  business  connections  and 
develop  Its  civic  spirit  and  standards. 


VIRGIL  McCLURE  HARRIS. 


Virgil  McClure  Harris,  Trust  Officer  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce 
in  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Boone  county,  Missouri,  on  January  20th,  1862,  his  par- 
ents being  John  W.  and  Annie  (McClure)  Harris.  His  father  was  the  owner  of  the 
"Model  Farm  of  Missouri,"  located  in  Boone  county;  he  was  also  actively  connected 
with  banking  and  otlier  interests,  was  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture, 
and  was  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the  state's  most  useful  citizens;  he  came  ot 
Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  the  early  representatives  of  the  name  in  the  new  world 
residing  in  Virginia  and  Kentucky. 

Virgil  M.  Harris  attended  Kempner's  Family  School,  of  Boonville.  Missouri,  and 
the  State  University  of  Missouri,  receiving  his  legal  education  at  the  University 
of  Virginia.  In  1881,  he  located  in  St.  Louis  for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and 
became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Skinker  &  Harris,  and  later  of  the  firm  of  Hornsby 
&  Harris.  He  continued  successfully  in  the  practice  of  law  until  1901;  at  that  time. 
he  was  appointed  Trust  Officer  of  the  Mercantile  Trust  Company,  ot  St.  Louis,  and 
organized  its  Trust  Department,  being  subsequently  made  a  Director  of  the  Com- 
pany. In  September,  1918,  he  organized  the  Trust  Department  of  The  National 
Bank  ot  Commerce  in  St.  Louis  and  has  since  had  charge  of  it  as  Trust  Officer. 

Mr.  Harris  is  recognized  as  an  expert  on  the  law  ot  wills,  and  an  authority  on 
testamentary  literature.  He  is  the  author  of  "Ancient,  Curious  and  Famous  Wills," 
a  book  well  known  not  only  in  the  United  States  but  in  Europe.  He  is  a  con- 
tributor to  newspapers,  magazines  and  law  journals,  and  was,  for  many  years, 
a  lecturer  in  the  St.  Louis  University  Institute  of  Law,  which  institution,  in  1912. 
conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  ot  Laws. 

On  the  10th  of  December,  1884,  at  Champaign,  Illinois,  Mr.  Harris  was  married 
to  Miss  Isabel  M.  McKinley,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  B.  McKinley,  of  that 
place.  They  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  in  political  belief  Mr.  Har- 
ris is  a  democrat.  He  belongs  to  the  Noonday,  Franklin  and  Burns  Clubs,  and  is 
well  known  socially,  having  a  large  circle  of  friends  in  St.  Louis  and  throughout  the 
United  States. 


O.   H.   GENTRY,    Jr. 


O.  H.  Gentry,  Jr.,  filling  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Jackson  county,  was  born  May 
9,  1859,  in  the  county  which  is  still  his  home,  his  parents  being  Joseph  H.  and  Mary 
(Henley)  Gentry,  who  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  The  grandfather  was  the  young- 
est son  in  the  family,  in  which  the  oldest  son  was  Colonel  Gentry,  who  was  killed 
in  Florida  during  the  Seminole  Indian  war.  He  was  a  very  noted  man  in  the  early 
history  of  the  state  and  the  family  was  one  of  distinction,  figuring  prominently  in 
connection  with  public  affairs. 

O.  H.  Gentry  acquired  a  public  school  education  in  Independence,  Missouri,  and 
afterward  resumed  his  studies  in  the  State  University  at  Columbia,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1879.  He  pursued  a  course  in  chemistry  and  afterward  at- 
tended the  School  of  Pharmacy  at  Philadelphia.  Pennsylvania,  tor  two  years,  work- 
ing his  way  by  clerking  in  a  drug  store  during  that  period.  He  was  graduated  in 
1882,  winning  his  pharmaceutical  degree,  after  which  he  returned  to  Independence. 
Missouri,  and  established  a  drug  store,  in  which  he  is  still  financially  interested.  He 
became. associated  in  this  enterprise  with  Mr.  Pendleton  under  the  firm  style  of 
Pendleton  &  Gentry  and  made  for  himself  a  substantial  place  in  the  business  circles 
ot  the  city,  where  he  ranks  as  the  leading  pharmacist  conducting  a  splendidly  ap- 
pointed store,  in  which  he  carries  a  line  of  the  finest  drugs  and  druggists'  sundries. 
A  recognition  ot  his  ability,  enterprise  and  public  spirit  on  the  part  ot  his  fellow^ 
citizens  led  to  his  selection  for  political  office.  He  was  first  chosen  to  the  position  ' 
of  county  treasurer  and  the  splendid  record  which  he  made  while  serving  in  that 
capacity  led  to  his  reelection   for  a  second   and   a  third  term.      At   the   close  of   his 


228  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

first  term  he  retired  from  the  position,  but  after  two  years  was  again  called  to  the 
office  and  served  for  four  years,  at  which  time  the  law  prevented  an  incumbent  from 
occupying  the  office  for  more  than  two  successive  terms.  In  the  fall  of  1916  he  was 
elected  sheriff  of  Jackson  county  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  position  in 
January,  1917.  Again  in  this  office  he  is  discharging  his  duties  with  the  char- 
acteristic fidelity  and  ability  he  previously  displayed. 

In  1884  Mr.  Gentry  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mi-ss  Emma  F.  Roberts,  of  Saline 
county,  Missouri,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  three  children,  Alonzo  H., 
Walter  R.  and  Mary  Overton.  The  first  named  is  an  architect  of  national  reputa- 
tion, now  located  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  local 
schools  and  then  attended  Columbia  University  of  New  "Vork,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  architecture,  receiving  a  medal  of  the  highest  degree  that  has  ever  been 
given  in  connection  with  that  branch.  During  the  war  he  was  called  to  Washington 
by  the  president  and  was  put  in  charge  of  all  the  construction  work  at  Norfolk, 
Virginia.  Since  the  close  of  the  war  he  has  practiced  his  profession  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio. 

Mr.  Gentry  was  chairman  of  the  draft  hoard  of  Jackson  county,  the  third 
largest  district  in  the  state,  serving  for  a  year  and  ten  months  without  pay,  the 
members  of  the  board  all  giving  their  time,  when  they  were  entitled  to  eight  dollars 
per  day.  Mr.  Gentry  fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Elks  and  the  Moose.  He  is 
very  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing,  to  which  he  turns  for  recreation  and  diversion. 
He  is  living  up  to  the  high  standard  set  by  his  ancestors  and  though  quiet  and 
unassuming  in  manner  is  a  man  of  great  strength  of  character,  unfaltering  in  his 
support  of  what  he  believes  to  be  right,  honest  and  just.  One  of  the  first  men  he 
met  after  being  notified  of  his  election  as  sheriff  was  the  president  of  the  Chrisman- 
Sawyer  Bank,  of  Independence,  Missouri,  who  said  to  him:  "Come  to  my  office 
about  noon.  I  want  to  see  you."  On  keeping  the  appointment  the  hanker  handed 
Mr.  Gentry  his  bond  for  six  hundred  and  ninety  thousand  dollars,  signed  by  many 
of  the  business  men  of  the  city,  and  each  time  as  elected  his  bonds  have  been 
tendered  him  without  solicitation  on  his  part,  for  the  amounts  required  by  law. 
This  is  indicative  of  the  high  position  he  has  always  filled  in  the  regard  of  those 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated.  His  friends,  and  they  are  many,  know  him  to 
be  a  man  who  is  always  dependable,  whose  word  can  be  counted  upon,  who  is 
most  agreeable  as  an  acquaintance  and  who  is  always  on  the  alert  in  business 
matters.  He  possesses  many  sterling  traits  of  character  and  his  good  qualities  are 
attested  by  the  warm  friendship  which  is  entertained  for  him  by  all  who  know  him. 


JULIUS  PITZMAN. 


Julius  Pitzman  acted  as  chairman  of  the  board  of  engineers  of  St.  Louis 
and  has  aided  in  planning  and  developing  projects  which  in  vision  and  importance 
are  unfortunately  rarely  conceived  at  the  proper  time  in  the  big  cities  of  the 
United  States.  This  present  effort  is  along  a  time-tested  road  for  him,  as  he  has 
always  been  a  peculiarly  happy  combination  of  the  dreamer  and  the  practical  man. 
Back  of  this  magnificent  work  for  the  future  development  of  St.  Louis  have  been 
years  of  experience  as  a  surveyor  and  civil  engineer. 

A  native  of  Germany,  Mr.  Pitzman  was  born  in  Halberstadt,  Prussia.  June 
11,  1837,  his  parents  being  Frederick  G.  and  Amalia  (Ebert)  Pitzman.  In  the 
acquirement  of  his  education  Julius  Pitzman  attended  the  Real  Gymnasium  in  his 
native  town  and  also  received  private  instruction  in  engineering  in  St.  Louis  after 
coming  to  the  United  States  in  1854,  when  a  youth  of  but  seventeen  years.  In  1856 
he  entered  the  office  of  the  city  engineer  of  St.  Louis  and  through  the  two  succeed- 
ing years  he  acted  as  chief  of  the  county  surveyor's  office.  In  1859  he  opened  an 
office  for  the  private  practice  of  surveying  and  it  was  not  long  before  his  skill 
and  ability  in  this  direction  won  for  him  a  gratifying  patronage.  In  1861  he 
acted  as  county  engineer  of  St.  Louis  county,  but  resigned  that  position  to  join 
the  army  as  a  first  lieutenant  of  engineers  in  the  tall  of  1861.  Such  was  his  recog- 
nized ability  that  he  was  transferred  to  the  staff  of  General  William  T.  Sherman 
as  chief  topographical  engineer  of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  in  1862  and  was  com- 
missioned   captain.      He    was    seriously    wounded    in    front    of    Vicksburg    in    May, 


JULIUS  PITZMAN 


TH!  NiW  T9RI 
PUBLIC  LIBRAIRY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  231 

1863.  After  his  recovery  he  was  elected  county  surveyor  of  St.  Louis  county  in 
November  of  that  same  year.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  volunteered  again  for  service 
in  the  army  and  acted  as  major  of  engineers  tor  the  army  organized  to  repel  the 
invasion  of  General  Price. 

Mr.  Pltzman  later  filled  the  office  of  county  surveyor  until  the  separation 
of  the  city  and  county.  He  has  acted  as  commissioner  in  dividing  nearly  all  big 
estates  in  St.  Louis,  valued  at  about  fifty  million  dollars,  from  1863  to  the  present 
time  and  on  several  occasions  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  equalization 
to  revise  the  assessment.  His  public  work  has  been  of  a  most  important  character 
and  St.  Louis  has  profited  much  by  his  efforts  in  her  behalf.  He  acted  as  chief 
engineer  of  Forest  Park  from  1874  until  the  general  plan  had  been  consummated 
and  all  drives  laid  out. 

In  1876  he  was  made  city  surveyor,  under  appointment  from  the  mayor  for  a 
term  of  four  years  and  the  subsequent  mayors  appointed  him  to  the  same  position, 
which  position  he  now  holds.  He  designed  and  laid  out  Vandeventer,  Westmore- 
land and  Portland  Places,  also  Compton  Heights  and  Flora  boulevard  and  he  intro- 
duced the  system  of  selling  property  under  restrictiojis-  In  1903  he  applied  to  the 
secretary  of  war  on  behalf  of  persons  owning  the  major  part  of  the  river  front 
In  order  to  establish  new  harbor  lines  and  succeeded  in  having  his  plan  adopted  by 
the  government  with  some  slight  modtflcations  and  the  city  acquired  lands  thereby 
valued  at  several  million  dollars.  His  labors  resulted  in  the  establishment  of 
permanent  harbor  lines  at  St.  Louis  and  improvements  were  begun  in  connection 
therewith  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 

F.  G.  and  William  F.  Niedringhaus  concluded  to  move  their  works  to  the 
east  side.  Mr.  Pitzman  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  development  of  Granite  City 
and  when  in  1903  the  entire  American  Bottom  was  submerged,  he  suggested  procur- 
ing the  passage  of  a  law  allowing  the  construction  of  a  levee  to  include  portions  of 
two  counties.  With  the  assistance  of  Messrs.  Niedringhaus,  C.  G.  Knox  and  Hy.  D. 
Sexton  and  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  St.  Louis,  the  adoption  of  the  law  was  pro- 
cured in  1907,  over  five  million  dollars  have  been  already  expended  and  no  flood 
hereafter  will  deprive  St.  Louis  of  its  connection  with  the  east. 

He  was  made  one  of  the  three  commissioners  appointed  by  the  mayor  and  the 
city  council  to  prepare  plans  and  specifications  for  King's  Highway  boulevard. 
In  spite  of  his  eighty-two  years  of  age  he  is  very  active  as  president  of  Pitzman's 
Company  of  Surveyors  and  Engineers  and  he  is  proud  of  having  established  an 
office  which  has  records  enabling  his  assistants  to  trace  original  boundaries  of  lands 
to  the  colonial  times  and  he  states  that  St.  Louis  is  the  only  old  city  where  such 
records  can  be  found. 

Important  and  extensive  as  have  been  the  public  duties  of  Mr.  Pitzman 
and  his  labors  in  the  execution  of  private  contracts  along  the  line  of  his  profes- 
sion, he  has  done  an  even  more  important  work  in  the  past  few  years  as  chairman 
of  the  board  of  engineers,  the  other  members  of  the  board  being  M.  L.  Holman, 
Edward  Flad,  Baxter  L.  Brown,  who  is  consulting  engineer  of  the  Alton  &  South- 
ern Railroad,  and  Frank  G.  Jonah,  chief  engineer  of  the  Frisco  Railroad.  This 
board  has  prepared  plans  for  the  city  of  St.  Louis  and  the  St.  Louis  Chamber  of 
Commerce  for  the  commercial  and  industrial  development  of  the  city,  including 
reclamation  work  on  the  Mississippi  river,  the  plans  being  made  with  much  care, 
skill  and  knowledge.  If  carried  out,  these  plans  will  involve  about  sixty  millions 
in  the  expenditure  of  money,  but  that  will  eventually  mean  the  return  of  many 
millions  of  dollars  to  the  annual  income  of  the  city  in  improved  conditions  and 
trade  facilities.  To  coming  generations  such  work  would  stand  as  a  monument 
to  the  foresight,  public-spirit  and  ability  of  the  board  of  engineers.  The  improve- 
ments when  completed  will  place  St.  Louis  far  ahead  of  any  city  in  the  United 
States  in  its  river  and  railroad  facilities  and  in  its  industrial  and  manufacturing 
advantages.  The  plans  also  include  the  improvement  of  residential  sections  and 
the  development  of  the  sewerage  and  other  systems,  in  fact  the  advancement  of 
everything  that  has  to  do  with  the  sanitary  and  progressive  upbuilding  of  a  greater 
and  better  city. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  1867,  Mr.  Pitzman  was  married  in  St.  Louis  to  Miss 
Emma  R.  Tittman  and  to  them  were  born  a  daughter  and  two  sons:  Florence 
H.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Edward  A.  Hermann;  Edwin  Sherman;  and  Otto  Hilgard. 
who  died  in  infancy.  His  first  wife  died  October  17,  1872.  On  the  31st  of 
March,     1879,     Mr.     Pitzman     was     married     in     St.     Louis     to     Caroline     Marsh 


232  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Wislizenus  and  their  children  were:  Julius,  who  died  in  infancy;  Marsh; 
Harold  W.  who  died  In  1906;  Frederick;  and  Louise.  The  daughter 
Louise  married  Oliver  Lucas  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Carol.  His  son 
Marsh  was  graduated  from  Harvard  University  and  from  the  medical  department 
of  Washington  University  and  has  also  pursued  post  graduate  work  in  Heidelherg, 
Berlin  and  Vienna.  The  youngest  son.  Frederick,  was  graduated  from  the  engin- 
eering department  of  Washington  University  and  has  done  post  graduate  work  at 
Cornell  University.  He  is  now  associated  with  his  father  in  Pitzman's  Company 
of  Surveyors  and  Engineers.  Both  sons  served  as  officers  in  the  American  army 
during  the  World  war. 

Mr.  Pitzman  is  a  member  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  an 
honorary  member  of  the  American  Institute  of  Architects,  a  member  of  the  Mis- 
souri Historical  Society  of  the  Academy  of  Science  and  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the 
United  States  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Noonday  and  Country  Clubs.  The  inter- 
ests and  activities  of  his  life,  however,  have  been  of  such  an  important  character 
as  to  leave  him  comparatively  little  leisure  for  social  activities  of  this  kind,  yet 
there  is  no  man  who  more  truly  prizes  friendship  or  enjoys  in  fuller  measure  the 
respect   and   good  will  of  all  with   whom  he  comes  in   contact. 


WILLIAM    T.    FINDLY. 


William  T.  Findly,  now  secretary  to  the  mayor  of  St.  Louis  and  who  for  ten 
years  was  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Public  Service  of  St.  Louis,  is  one  who  has 
always  displayed  integrity  and  fidelity  to  a  public  trust  in  a  marked  degree.  He  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  republican  party  in  Missouri,  his  support 
thereof  emanating  from  his  honest  belief  in  party  principles,  and  his  desire  to 
further  the  best  interests  of  good  government.  He  was  born  in  Louisiana,  Pike 
county,  Missouri,  July  31,  1867,  his  parents  being  Harry  J.  and  Mary  A.  (Baird) 
Findly.  The  father,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  came  to  Missouri  when  about  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  and  turned  his  attention  to  general  merchandising  in  Louisiana, 
conducting  his  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Block  &  Findly.  He  was  very 
prominent  in  religious  work  as  a  member  of  the  Christian  church,  and  was  also  an 
exemplary  Mason  serving  as  master  of  the  Louisiana  Lodge  from  1851  to  185.3 
inclusive.  Death  called  him  in  1870.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  came 
to  Missouri  with  her  parents  in  18.37,  when  hut  six  years  of  age.  Her  father 
bought  the  first  hotel  in  Louisiana,  this  being  a  log  structure  which  for  years  was 
the  leading  hotel  of  the  section.  It  was  built  on  Main  street  close  to  the  river 
and  when  the  settlement  of  the  district  justified,  the  log  house  was  replaced  by  a 
fine  brick  hotel,  at  Third  and  Georgia  streets,  which  was  by  far  the  best  hotel  outside 
of  St.   Louis  in  that  section  of  the  state. 

William  T.  Findly,  after  pursuing  his  education  in  the  public  and  high  schools 
of  Louisiana,  Missouri,  attended  the  St.  Louis  College  of  Pharmacy,  in  1887  and 
1888.  During  this  time  he  was  residing  in  Louisiana  where  he  conducted  a  drug 
business  of  his  own,  remaining  proprietor  thereof  until  1899  at  which  time  he 
came  to  St.  Louis,  and  entered  the  United  States  revenue  department  with  which 
he  was  connected  for  several  years.  In  1909  he  was  made  clerk  of  the  house  of 
delegates  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  which  office  he  filled  for  a  term  of  two  years,  or 
until  1911,  when  he  went  with  the  Board  of  Public  Service  as  secretary.  He  has  a 
keen  mind  and  a  broad  grasp  of  public  affairs,  knows  men  and  human  nature, 
and  is  most  affable,  making  friends  wherever  he  goes.  He  attracts  men  by  his 
rugged  honesty  and  by  his  pleasing  personality,  and  his  course  is  marked  by  his 
intense  loyalty  to  his  friends.  One  who  has  known  him  long  and  well  says:  "He 
is  a  man  of  broad  general  knowledge,  very  conscientious,  and  has  the  quality  of  add- 
ing a  quiet  humor  to  his  performance  of  duties."  In  1908  Mr.  Findl\  was  a  nomi- 
nee of  the  republican  party  in  the  eleventh  congressional  district.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee  for  tour  years,  and  during  1912 
and  1913,  was  secretary  thereof.  During  the  time  he  resided  in  Louisiana  he  was 
very  active  in  all  political  matters,  held  several  offices  in  the  city  and  was  always 
in  demand  because  of  his  ability  as  a  speaker:  in  fact  he  has  a  state  wide  reputa- 
tion as  an  orator,  one  who  has  the  faculty  of  introducing  his  subject  in  such  a 
forceful  and  common-sense  fashion  as  to  drive  his  point  home. 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  AIISSOUKI  233 

In  1892  in  Louisiana,  Missouri,  Mr.  Findly  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  A.  Wait, 
a  native  of  Watertown,  New  York,  and  tliey  liave  one  son,  Claude  C,  wlio  has  his 
office  in  the  Arcade  building.  He  was  educated  in  the  St.  Louis  schools  and  was 
graduated  from  the  St.  Louis  University  of  Law  with  the  class  of  1916,  winning 
the  LL.  B.  degree,  since  which  time  he  has  practiced  his  profession. 

Mr.  Findly  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge,  and  also  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  the  Modern  Woodmen,  and  the  Court  of  Honor.  He  has  membership  in  the 
Christian  church  and  is  the  loyal  supporter  of  those  forces  which  make  for  the 
uplift  of  the  individual  and  the  betterment  of  mankind.  It  is  said  of  him  that 
outside  of  his  business  his  chief  thought  is  of  his  home  and  family  to  whom  he  is 
devoted  and  that  he  is  a  typical  clean,  American  family  man.  In  a  word  all  who 
know  him  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  respect  and  regard  because  of  a  strong  and 
magnetic   personality  and  the   honesty  and  sincerity  of  his  purpose. 


JOHN    S.    LOGAN,    M.    D. 


Among  the  distinguished  physicians  of  Missouri  was  Dr.  John  Sublette  Logan, 
who  practiced  for  several  years  in  St.  Joseph  and  who  afterward  became  closely 
connected  with  farming  interests  in  Andrew  county,  this  state.  His  activity  in 
various  fields  brought  him  to  the  front  as  a  representative  and  honoi'ed  citizen.  He 
was  born  at  Shelbyville,  Kentucky,  June  25,  1836,  and  his  life  record  covered  the 
intervening  period  to  the  18th  of  January,  1909.  His  father,  Thomas  Logan,  was 
born  in  County  Donegal,  Ireland,  on  the  7th  of  August,  1801,  and  was  a  son  of 
John  and  Jane  (Shannon)  Logan,  the  former  a  son  of  John  Logan  and  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Sir  Robert  Logan  of  Restalrig,  Scotland,  so  that  the  ancestry  of  the 
family  is  Scotch  Irish.  Thomas  Logan  was  a  successful  dry  goods  merchant  of 
Shelbyville,  Kentucky,  where  he  remained  to  the  time  of  his  demise.  He  was  mar- 
ried March  18,  1834,  to  Prances  Sublette,  of  Woodford  county,  Kentucky,  and 
passed  away  on  the  18th  of  April,  1840. 

In  his  youthful  days  Dr.  John  S.  Logan  was  a  pupil  in  Shelby  College  at  Shelby- 
ville, Kentucky,  and  afterward  attended  the  Kentucky  Military  Institute  of  Franklin 
county.  He  then  began  preparation  for  a  professional  career  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Kentucky  School  of  Medicine  with  the  class  of  1859.  At  Madison,  Wis- 
consin, he  read  medicine  with  Dr.  Alexander  Schue.  formerly  nt  Kentucky,  who  was 
a  pupil  of  the  famous  German  chemist,  Leibig,  with  whom  he  read  until  entering 
the  Jefferson  Medical  College  at  Philadelphia. 

In  1857  Dr.  Logan,  accompanied  by  his  mother,  his  sister  Mary  and  his  step- 
father, James  L.  O'Neill,  came  to  Missouri,  settling  in  St.  Joseph,  where  Dr.  Logan 
engaged  in  active  practice  until  186  2,  when  he  entered  the  United  States  army  as  a 
surgeon  and  was  on  duty  at  different  hospitals  in  Louisville,  St.  Louis,  Jeffersonville, 
Indiana,  Camp  Joe  Holt  near  New  Albany,  Indiana,  and  Camp  Gamble,  of  St.  Louis. 
It  was  during  his  service  as  a  military  surgeon  that  he  brought  forth  a  valuable  dis- 
covery— that  of  bromine  treatment  for  hospital  gangrene,  which  was  afterward 
extensively  used  by  both  armies. 

When  the  war  was  over  Dr.  Logan  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, which  he  followed  for  about  six  years  in  Buchanan  county.  Later  he  pur- 
chased a  large  fruit  farm  in  Andrew  county,  where  he  made  his  home  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  was  called  to  public  office  through  appointment  by  Governor  Critten- 
den to  the  position  of  fish  commissioner  of  Missouri  and  through  later  appointment 
of  Governor  Marmaduke  he  filled  that  office  for  three  years,  having  his  headquarters 
in  St.  Joseph.  He  was  also  one  of  the  administrators  of  the  Milton  Tootle  estate. 
his  associates  being  John  S.  Lemon  and  Isaac  L.  Hosea.  Dr.  Logan  was  also  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Buell  Woolen  Mill  Manufacturing  Company 
and  he  was  a  large  investor  in  Missouri  and  Texas  lands.  He  displayed  notably 
keen  sagacity  and  progressiveness  in  all  of  his  business  affairs  and  his  investments 
were  most  wisely  placed. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  1862,  Dr.  Logan  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Emma  Puryear  Cotton,  who  was  born  on  the  26th  of  February,  1841,  a  daughter 
of  Charles  Cotton,  of  Woodford  county,  Kentucky,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Loudoun 
county,  Virginia,  October  3,  1781,  and  who  was  a  son  of  William  and  Frances 
(Taylor)  Cotton,  who  removed  with  their  family  from  Virginia  in  1787,  settling 
in  Fayette  county,  Kentucky,  where  the  parents  passed  away  in  1826.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.   Logan   had   a  family  of  six  children.      Dr.   Charles   Cotton   Logan,   now   of   Los 


234  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Angeles.  California;  Thomas  Trabue,  living  in  St.  Joseph;  John  Sublette,  Jr.,  also 
o£  St.  Joseph;  Frank  Puryear,  ot  Kansas  City;  Louis  Sublette,  of  Kansas  City;  and 
Milton  Tootle,  of  St.  Joseph.      Mrs.  Logan  passed  away  January  6,  1920. 

In  his  political  views  Dr.  Logan  was  always  a  stalwart  democrat  and  he  served 
as  a  delegate  to  the  state  conventions  which  nominated  Governor  Crittenden  and 
Governor  Woodson.  He  also  served  for  several  years  on  the  board  of  geology 
through  appointment  of  Governor  Lon  V.  Stephens.  He  possessed  a  fine  collection 
ot  Indian  relics  and  geological  specimens  and  was  keenly  interested  in  scientific 
research  and  investigation  of  that  character.  His  life  was  guided  by  high  and 
honorable  principles  and  he  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church 
of  St.  Joseph. 


REV.  NATHAN  SCARRITT,  D.  D. 

Rev.  Nathan  Scarritt,  whose  life  was  one  of  signal  usefulness  and  service  to  man- 
kind, his  labors  constituting  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  moral  and  educational 
development  of  the  district  in  which  he  lived,  was  a  native  son  of  Illinois,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  at  Edwardsville  on  the  14th  ot  April,  1821,  his  parents  being  Nathan  and 
Latty  (Allds)  Scarritt.  He  was  descended  from  Scotch  and  Irish  ancestry  although 
the  family  had  long  been  represented  on  American  soil.  His  father,  who  was  born  in 
Connecticut  in  1788,  devoted. his  life  to  the  occupation  of  farming.  In  1812  at  Lyman, 
New  Hampshire,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Latty  Allds,  who  was  born  in  that 
state  in  1793.  They  became  the  parents  of  ten  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  Nathan 
Scarritt  was  the  seventh  child  and  sixth  son.  The  father  passed  away  In  1847  but  the 
mother  long  survived,  departing  this  life  in  1875.  In  1820  the  family  had  removed  from 
New  Hampshire  to  Illinois,  making  the  long  journey  to  the  then  far  west  by  wagon.  They 
settled  first  in  Edwardsville  and  afterward  took  up  their  abode  upon  a  farm  near 
Alton,  in  the  district  which  became  known  as  Scarritt's  Prairie  and  is  now  the  seat 
ot  the   Monticello  Female   Seminary. 

It  was  upon  this  farm  that  Nathan  Scarritt  was  reared  to  the  age  of  sixteen 
years,  when  he  became  a  student  in  McKendree  College  at  Lebanon,  Illinois,  entering 
the  preparatory  department.  He  was  ambitious  to  secure  a  good  education  but  received 
little  financial  assistance  from  his  father  and  in  order  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  first 
year  of  his  course  at  McKendree  he  cleared  brush  and  timber  from  the  college  campus, 
doing  the  work  after  study  hours  and  often  working  by  moonlight.  With  two  com- 
panions he  lived  in  a  log  hut,  near  which  he  fenced  and  cultivated  a  garden,  and  his 
meals  often  consisted  only  ot  potatoes  of  his  own  raising.  Occasionally,  however,  bread 
and  meat  supplemented  this  scanty  diet  and  during  his  college  days  he  often  kept  his 
expenses  down  to  less  than  fifty  cents  per  week. 

Owing  to  the  illness  of  his  father  Mr.  Scarritt  found  it  necessary  to  return  home 
and  manager  the  farm  but  as  soon  as  his  father's  health  permitted  he  again  became  a 
student  of  McKendree  College,  through  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  faculty,  who 
offered  him  board  and  tuition  on  credit.  The  year  of  his  graduation  was  1842,  at  which 
lime  he  won  valedictorian  honors  and  gained  the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree.  He  then 
turned  his  attention  to  the  profession  of  teaching,  which  he  followed  at  Waterloo, 
Illinois,  and  from  the  savings  of  the  first  two  years  he  paid  his  indebtedness  to  the 
college. 

Mr.  Scarritt  became  a  resident  of  Missouri  in  April,  1844,  at  which  time  he  took 
up  his  abode  at  Fayette,  there  joining  his  brother-in-law,  William  T.  Lucky,  in  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  high  school.  Mr.  Lucky  began  with  but  six  pupils  and  during  the  first 
week  one  of  these  became  ill  and  three  ran  away,  leaving  only  two.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  outlook  seemed  rather  discouraging,  Mr.  Scarritt  succeeded  in  establish- 
ing an  excellent  school,  known  as  the  Howard  high  school,  out  of  which  were  developed 
the  Central  College  for  males  and  the  Howard  Female  College.  Later,  upon  urgent 
solicitation.  Dr.  Scarritt  became  provisional  president  of  Central  College,  thus  serving 
for  a  year.  From  1848  until  1851  he  taught  the  Indian  Manual  Labor  School  in  the 
Shawnee  country  of  the  Indian  Territory  and  during  the  following  year  he  was  prin- 
cipal of  the  high  school  at  Westport,  having  been  very  active  in  the  establishment  and 
development  of  that  institution.  He  was  also  a  teacher  in  Kansas  City  in  1864  and 
1865. 

It  was  his  earnest  desire,  however,  to  enter  the  ministry  and  upon  reaching  a 
suitable  age  he  was  called  to  the  duties  of  a  class  leader,  while  in  1846  he  was  licensed 


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REV.   NATHAN   SCARRITT 


THI  NIW  TiJUK 
POBLlCLl^.nARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  237 

to  preach  and  later  in  the  same  year  was  received  on  trial  into  the  Missouri  conference 
and  was  appointed  to  the  Howard  high  school,  where  he  was  then  teaching,  in  the  mean- 
time acting  as  minister  to  neighboring  churches.  While  teaching  among  the  Indians 
from  1848  until  1851  he  frequently  assisted  the  missionaries  and  in  the  latter  year 
was  appointed  missionary  to  the  Shawnees,  Delawares  and  Wyandottes,  preaching  to 
these  tribes  through  interpreters.  Upon  the  division  of  the  Methodist  church  he 
became  identified  with  the  southern  branch  of  the  denomination.  He  performed  minis- 
terial duty  at  Lexington,  where  he  filled  a  vacancy,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  1852  was 
appointed  to  churches  in  Westport  and  Kansas  City,  while  in  1853  he  became  pastor 
of  the  Fifth  Street  church  of  Kansas  City.  In  January,  1855,  he  was  made  presiding 
elder  of  the  Kickapoo  district  of  the  Kansas  Mission  Conference,  which  body  he  repre- 
sented in  the  general  conference  of  1858.  Through  the  succeeding  year  he  served  in  the 
Shawnee  Reserve  and  during  the  two  ensuing  years  was  presiding  elder  of  the  Lecomp- 
ton  district.  During  the  unsettled  period  of  the  Civil  war,  following  the  restoration  of 
peace,  he  engaged  in  itinerant  service  in  the  ministry  for  a  year  and  was  ihen  superan- 
nuated on  account  of  physical  disability  but  declined  the  aid  due  him  from  the  confer- 
ence fund.  In  1876  he  took  up  pastoral  work  in  Kansas  City,  serving  the  old  Fifth  Street, 
the  Walnut  Street,  the  Lydia  Avenue,  the  Campbell  Street,  and  the  Melrose  churches 
in  turn.  He  was  a  delegate  in  several  sessions  of  the  general  conference,  during  two 
of  which  he  served  on  the  committee  of  revisals,  and  was  assigned  to  a  similar  position 
at  the  session  of  1890.  In  theology  he  proclaimed  himself  an  Arminian  of  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  type. 

Dr.  Scarritt's  residence  in  Kansas  City  led  to  his  accumulation  of  a  large  fortune 
and  afforded  him  opportunity  to  aid  materially  in  the  development  of  that  city  and 
to  formulate  and  execute  various  philanthropic  designs.  In  1861  he  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  near  the  city  and  subsequent  purchases  increased  his  holdings  to  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  situated  on  Scarritt's  Point,  his  first  home  there  being  a  log 
cabin  of  his  own  building.  He  was  early  associated  with  Governor  Ross  of  Delaware 
in  the  ownership  of  a  tract  of  land  in  the  heart  of  Kansas  City,  a  block  of  which  was 
intended  to  be  conveyed  in  fee  to  the  city  upon  condition  that  a  courthouse  or  school 
be  built  thereon,  but  the  city  failed  to  make  use  of  the  opportunity.  He  was  also  a 
pioneer  builder  on  Main  and  Walnut  streets,  where  he  erected  many  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial structures.  Among  his  benefactions  were  five  thousand  dollars  to  the  Scarritt 
Collegiate  Institute  at  Neosho;  five  thousand  dollars  to  the  Central  Female  College 
at  Lexington;  and  thirty  thousand  dollars  to  Melrose  church,  Kansas  City,  which 
latter  ediflc  was  erected  on  a  lot  where  for  two  years  he  previously  maintained  a  tent 
for  religious  meetings.  His  benefactions  were  not  restricted  to  the  objects  favored  by 
his  own  denomination,  for  scarcely  a  church  in  Kansas  City  was  unaided  by  him.  His 
desire  to  establish  a  Bible  and  Training  School  was  on  the  eve  of  accomplishment,  when 
his  death  occurred,  but  his  children  faithfully  carried  out  his  wishes  regarding  the 
project  by  a  gift  of  the  site  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  1850,  Mr.  Scarritt  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  M.  Chick,  a 
daughter  of  William  Chick,  one  of  the  founders  of  Kansas  City.  She  passed  away 
July  29,  1873,  leaving  nine  children,  of  whom  six  are  living:  Annie  E.,  the  wife  of 
Bishop  E.  R.  Hendrix,  Edward  L.,  Nathan,  Jr.,  and  William  C,  all  residents  of  Kansas 
City;  Charles  W.,  a  clergyman  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  South;  and  Martha 
M.,  the  wife  of  Elliott  H.  Jones,  of  Kansas  City.  On  the  6th  of  October,  1875,  Dr. 
Scarritt  was  married  to  Mrs.  Ruth  E.  Scarritt,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Cyrus  Barker,  a  mis- 
sionary of  India,  where  she  was  born. 

The  death  of  Dr.  Scarritt  occurred  in  Kansas  City,  May  22,  1890,  and  was  the  occa- 
sion of  the  most  deep  and  widespread  regret.  He  was  a  man  whose  contribution  to 
the  world's  work  was  of  great  worth.  Afforded  limited  educational  opportunities  in 
early  youth,  he  nevertheless  became  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments  and  received  the 
honorary  Master  of  Arts  degi-ee  from  the  University  of  Missouri  in  1857  and  that  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity  from  his  alma  mater  in  1876.  A  contemporary  writer  has  said  of 
him:  "His  services  as  a  clergyman  and  educator  were  of  great  value.  As  a  teacher  he 
won  his  pupils  as  much  through  his  kindly  personal  interest  and  sympathy  as 
through  his  power  of  imparting  knowledge.  By  deep  study  and  close  observation  he 
stored  his  mind  with  ample  material  for  every  emergency  and  his  sermons  were 
models  of  instruction  and  logical  exposition.  Sincere  earnestness  aided  his  effort,  with 
an  unaffected  vigor  of  oratory  which  compelled  attention  and  enabled  him  to  impress 
the   individual   hearer   with  the   conviction  that   he   was   listening  to   a   personal   mes- 


238  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

saee  and  appeal  His  benevolences  were  free  and  liberal  and  directed  In  a  sympathetic 
and  orderly  way,  insuring  perpetuation  of  the  gift  and  increasing  advantages  from  it 
in  after  years." 


HON.   WALTER  LEWIS  HENSLEY. 

Hon  Walter  Lewis  Hensley,  who  has  recently  retired  from  the  otfice  of  United 
States  attorney  at  the  custom  house  in  St.  Louis  and  who  for  four  terms  represented 
his  district  in  congress,  is  now  concentrating  his  attention  upon  the  private  practice 
of  law  He  has  ever  been  a  close  and  discriminating  student  of  vital  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day  and  has  done  much  to  mold  public  thought  and  opinion  in  many 
ways,  thus  shaping  public  activity  in  his  home  city  and  also  in  connection  with 
rational  interests.  Mr.  Hensley  was  born  September  3,  1871,  in  Jefferson  county, 
Missouri,  upon  a  farm  near  HiUsboro.  His  father,  the  late  Thomas  J.  Hensley, 
was  a  native  of  Missouri  and  was  born  and  reared  in  the  same  township  as  his  son. 
The  family  was  established  in  Missouri  by  William  Hensley,  who  with  three  brothers 
came  from  Virginia  about  1820  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
Jefferson  county.  Later  he  took  up  land  and  followed  farming  and  stock  raising, 
an  occupation  to  which  Thomas  J.  Hensley  also  devoted  his  time  and  energies.  He 
died  in  1874  and  was  long  survived  by  his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  1892.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Emily  E.  Williams  and  was  born  in  Jefferson  county, 
Missouri,  her  father  having  been  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  who  came  to  this  state 
from  South  Carolina.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hensley  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  five 
daughters  and  three  sons.  ,    .      ^.  '   ,. 

Walter  L  Hensley,  the  eighth  in  order  of  birth,  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  county  and  in  the  State  University  and  his  early  life  to  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years  was  spent  upon  the  home  farm.  Not  being  desirous  of  fol- 
lowing agricultural  pursuits  as  a  life  work,  however,  he  then  entered  upon  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Horine  and  John  H.  Reppy.  He  was  admitted 
to  practice  at  HiUsboro  in  1894  and  was  admitted  to  P^^'ice  before  the  United 
States  supreme  court  in  1919.  Following  his  admission  to  the  bar  m  1894  ^e 
removed  to  Wayne  county  and  entered  upon  the  active  work  of  his  profession  at 
Greenville  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  afterward  removed  to  Bonne 
Terre  and  there  continued  in  general  practice  tor  an  equal  period.  He  then  removed 
to  Farmington,  Missouri,  upon  his  election  to  the  office  of  prosecuting  attorney 
and  filled  the  position  for  two  terms  or  four  years.  There  he  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law  until  1910.  In  that  year  he  was  a  candidate  for  congress  and  by  reelec- 
tion was  continued  as  representative  from  Missouri  in  the  national  halls  of  legis- 
lation for  four  terms,  but  refused  to  become  a  candidate  again.  Various  con- 
gressional acts  of  importance  stand  to  the  credit  of  Mr.  Hensley,  expressive  of  his 
public  spirit  and  his  loyal  devotion  to  high  ideals,  but  particularly  must  he  be  given 
credit  for  two  resolutions  which  were  introduced  by  him  and  adopted  by  congress. 
House  Resolution  No.  298  read  as  follows:  "Resolved  that  in  the  opinion  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  the  declaration  of  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  of  Great 
Britain  the  Right  Honorable  Winston  Churchill,  that  the  government  of  the  United 
Kingdom  is  willing  and  ready  to  cooperate  with  other  governments  to  secure  for 
one  year  a  supervision  of  naval  construction  programs,  offers  the  means  of  imme- 
diate lessening  the  enormous  burdens  of  the  people  and  avoiding  "^e  ^/'^  o^ 
investment  in  war  material.  That  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  fujmshed  he 
President  with  the  request,  that  so  far  as  he  can  do  so,  having  due  regard  for  the 
interests  of  the  United  States,  he  use  his  influence  to  consummate  the  agreement 
suggested  by  the  Right  Honorable  Winston  Churchill."  This  was  adopted  and 
Berlin  papers  commented  on  it  very  favorably.  Had  it  been  carried  out,  the 
World  war  might  have  been   averted.  ^      ,     .  ^  u     „  „«t^ 

The  other  resolution  proposed  by  Congressman  Hensley,  and  adopted  by  a  vote 
of  three  hundred  and  seventeen  to  eleven,  reads:  "Upon  the  conclusion  of  the 
war  in  Europe,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  it  may  be  done,  the  President  of  the  United 
States  is  authorized  to  invite  all  great  governments  of  the  world  to  send  repre- 
sentatives to  a  conference  which  shall  be  charged  mth  the  duty  of  suggesting  an 
organization,  court  of  arbitration,  or  other  body,  to  which  dispued  questions 
between  nations  shall  be  referred  for  adjudication  and  peaceful  settlement,  and 
to    consider    the    question    of    disarmament   and    submit   their    recommendations    to 


HON.  WALTER  L.  HENBLEY 


Vol.   Ill— 16 


»"—»— tirtiiij 


m  Ntt  mm 


A3lf*      1   »'.V*    *.S»     . 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  241 

their  respective  governments  for  approval.  That  the  President  is  hereby  authorized 
to  appoint  nine  citizens  of  the  United  States,  who  shall  be  qualified  tor  the  mission 
by  eminence  in  the  law  and  by  devotion  to  the  cause  of  peace,  to  be  representatives 
of  the  United  States  in  such  conference.  That  the  President  shall  fix  the  compensation 
of  the  said  representatives  and  such  secretaries  and  other  employes  as  may  be 
needed.  Two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  or  so  much  thereof  as  may  be  needed, 
is  hereby  appropriated  and  set  aside  and  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  President 
to  carry  into  effect  the  provisions  of  this  paragraph."  This,  too,  was  adopted  and 
the  many  congratulatory  messages  received  by  Mr.  Hensley  indicate  the  importance 
of  the  document  and  his  success  in  securing  its  adoption.  The  President  has  said 
that  this  resolution  was  his  authority  for  negotiating  the  league  and  treaty,  the 
senate  being  almost  solidly  for  it.  In  March,  1919,  Mr.  Hensley  was  appointed 
to  the  position  of  United  States  attorney  at  the  custom  house  in  St.  Louis,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  until  1920,  when  he  resigned.  He  has  always  been  a  democrat 
in  his  political  views  and  an  active  party  worker.  His  election  and  his  reelection 
to  high  office  indicate  his  standing  with  the  people  among  whom  he  has  long 
resided,  and  recognition  of  his  professional  ability  as  well  as  his  allegiance  to  the 
democratic  party,  came  in  his  appointment  as  United  States  attorney  at  the  custom 
house. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1904,  Mr.  Hensley  was  married  to  Miss  Bessie  E. 
Johnson,  a  native  of  St.  Francois  county,  Missouri,  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  four  children:  Robert  Thornton,  Emily  E.,  AValter  L.,  Jr.,  and  John 
Clark.  His  life  has  always  been  actuated  by  high  ideals  and  worthy  purposes 
and  his  motives  have  ever  been  such  as  will  bear  the  sunlight  of  keen  and  close 
investigation.  He  stands  as  a  splendid  type  of  American  honor,  manhood  and 
chivalry.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Masons  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  his  religious  faith  connects  him  with  the  Baptist  church. 


WILLIAM  FANNING  WICKHAM. 

William  Fanning  Wickham,  who  is  at  the  head  of  the  Wickham  Coal  Company, 
one  of  the  leading  concerns  of  its  kind  in  St.  Louis,  was  born  September  10,  1857, 
in  the  city  which  is  still  his  home.  He  is  a  son  of  Judge  John  Wickham,  who  was 
born  in  Virginia  and  passed  away  in  St.  Louis,  in  189  2.  He  came  to  this  city  In 
the  early  '30s  and  was  an, able  and  prominent  lawyer  and  also  a  judge  of  the  cir- 
cuit court.  There  was  a  long  succession  of  John  Wickhams  in  the  ancestral  line 
and  one  of  these  was  counsel  for  Aaron  Burr  in  his  famous  trial,  while  another, 
John  Wickham,  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  was  the  grandfather  of  William  F.  Wickham 
of  this  review.  Another  member  of  the  family,  Williams  C.  Wickham,  held  the 
rank  of  general  in  the  Confederate  array  during  tbe  Civil  war.  The  family  comes 
of  English  ancestry  and  William  of  Wyckham  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Uni- 
versities at  Oxford. 

Judge  Wickham  was  united  in  marriage  to  Fannie  Graham  who  died  in  1911. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Graham  of  St.  Louis,  a  captain  in  the  United  States 
navy.      His  father.  Major  John  Graham,  settled  in  St.  Louis  about  1812. 

William  F.  Wickham  was  educated  by  private  tutors  until  he  reached  the  age 
of  ten  years.  He  then  entered  Washington  University  where  he  spent  eight  years 
as  a  student  and  afterward  matriculated  in  Princeton  College,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1879,  receiving  the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  as  a 
member  of  the  class  to  which  belonged  President  Wilson  and  other  men  who  have 
won  distinction.  He  spent  two  years  in  the  St.  Louis  Law  School  and  won  his 
degree  of  LL.  B.,  being  admitted  in  the  bar  in  1881.  For  about  a  year  and  a  half 
he  practiced  law  in  his  father's  office  and  in  1883  went  to  Texas,  spending  six 
months  on  a  ranch  there,  after  which  he  returned  to  St.  Louis.  He  then  withdrew 
from  the  practice  of  law  and  became  connected  with  the  Tudor  Iron  Works,  re- 
maining with  its  successor.  The  Republic  Iron  &  Steel  Company,  as  office  manager, 
occupying  that  position  of  responsibility  until  1905.  In  that  year,  in  conjunction 
with  his  brother,  E.  F.  Wickham,  he  established  a  coal  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  E.  F.  Wickham  &  Company.  Upon  his  brother's  death  in  1908  he  became 
sole  proprietor,  and  in  1913  incorporated  the  business  under  the  name  of  the  Wick- 
ham Coal  Company,   in   which  connection   he  has  developed  one  of  the  leading  con- 


242  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

cerns  of  the  kind   iu  the   city,  with  offices  in   the  Pierce   building.     He   is   the   presi- 
dent and  treasurer  of  the  company  and  practically  owns  all  of  the  stock. 

Mr.  Wickham  is  an  Episcopalian  and  attends  Christ  Church  Cathedral.  He 
enjoys  seeing  all  outdoor  sports  and  became  a  member  of  the  Sigma  Chi  while  at 
Princeton  and  belongs  to  the  St.  Louis  Club  and  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  At 
different  periods  he  has  voted  both  the  republican  and  democratic  tickets  and  has 
now  settled  down  as  an  independent  in  politics.  He  concentrates  his  efforts  and 
attention  upon  his  business  affairs,  is  appreciative  of  the  social  amenities  of  life 
and  has  always  been  a  man  of  strong  earnest  friendship. 


EBEN  C.  ROBINSON. 


That  the  sources  of  our  power  lie  within  ourselves  is  again  and  again  manifest 
in  the  record  of  a  truly  self-made  man,  of  which  type  Eben  C.  Robinson  is  a  splendid 
example.  He  is  a  man  of  well  balanced  capacities  and  power,  and  has  long  oc- 
cupied a  central  place  on  the  stage  of  action,  advancing  steadily  from  the  time  when 
he  made  his  initial  effort  in  the  field  of  business,  until  his  labors  have  found  cul- 
mination in  the  organization  and  direction  of  one  of  the  extensive  and  important 
lumber  interests  of  the  west.  He  is  operating  under  the  name  of  the  E.  C.  Robin- 
son Lumber  Company,  of  which  he  is  the  president,  and  which  owns  a  chain  of 
lumber  yards  in  twelve  towns  and  cities.  Mr.  Robinson  was  born  October  1,  1847, 
in  Marysville,  Ohio.  His  father,  William  M.  Robinson,  was  also  a  native  of  the 
Buckeye  state,  having  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in  Union  county.  He 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  was  active  in  public  affairs  of  the  community.  By 
popular  suffrage  he  was  called  to  the  offices  of  recorder  of  deeds  and  county  sheriff, 
and  afterward  conducted  a  grocery  store  for  some  years.  He  married  Hanna  Craw- 
ford, a  daughter  of  James  Crawford,  a  farmer,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
sons  and  three  daughters.  William  H.  who  was  engaged  in  the  hardware  and 
grocery  business  and  who  married  Martha  A.  Robinson,  but  is  now  deceased; 
Tabitha,  the  deceased  wife  of  Marshall  Winget,  a  contractor  and  house  builder 
who  has  also  passed  away;  Rufina,  who  still  lives  at  Marysville;  Marietta,  the 
deceased  wife  of  John  Moore,  who  is  in  the  grocery  business.  Three  of  the  sons, 
Calvin,  Warren  and  William  served  in  the  Civil  war. 

Eben  C.  Robinson,  the  youngest  of  the  family  pursued  a  grammar  education 
In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state,  and  in  1868  went  to  Ottawa,  Kansas,  being 
then  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years,  anxious  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  growing 
west.  He  there  worked  for  W.  P.  Anderson,  who  conducted  a  general  store,  his 
first  duties  being  in  the  bake  shop,  for  which  he  received  a  salary  of  twenty  dollars 
per  month.  At  the  end  of  three  months  he  was  transferred  to  the  grocery  depart- 
ment of  the  store,  and  his  salary  increased  to  forty  dollars  per  month.  His  ad- 
vancement was  steady,  and  he  remained  until  1870,  and  then  established  a  business 
on  his  own  account  as  a  grocer,  at  Thayer,  Kansas.  Success  attended  the  venture 
and  brought  to  him  valuable  experience  in  dealing  with  the  public.  He  became 
connected  with  the  lumber  industry  in  1873,  when  he  took  charge  of  the  yard  of 
the  Bradford-McCoy  Lumber  Company,  and  in  1874,  he  bought  out  the  business 
giving  his  personal  note  in  payment  thereof.  This  he  conducted  in  connection  with 
his  grocery  store  until  1880,  in  which  year  he  became  general  manager  for  S.  A. 
Brown  &  Company,  turning  in  his  lumber  yard  to  that  company  and  accepting  a 
position  which  gave  him  charge  over  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  lumber  yards.  He 
continued  in  this  position  of  trust  and  responsibility  until  1890,  in  which  year  he 
came  to  St.  Louis  and  bought  out  the  lumber  business  of  Mr.  Boeckamp.  From 
this  time  forward  his  course  has  been  one  of  steady  and  notable  progress.  In  1890 
he  established  a  yard  in  Madison,  Illinois,  in  1892  one  in  Granite  City,  Illinois,  and 
in  1907  sold  his  lumber  business  in  St.  Louis,  and  has  devoted  his  attention  to  the 
development  of  a  chain  of  yards  elsewhere.  Through  the  intervening  period  he 
has  established  yards  at  the  following  places:  Olney,  Illinois;  Winfield,  Missouri; 
Wentzville,  Missouri;  Belle,  Missouri;  Lilbourne,  Missouri;  Campbell,  Missouri; 
Sikeston,  Missouri;  Charlestown,  Missouri;  Kennett,  Missouri;  Senath,  Missouri; 
Piggott,  Arkansas;  and  Bragg  City,  Missouri.  In  the  meantime  he  consolidated 
the  yards  at  Madison  and  Granite  City,  Illinois.  During  the  past  fifty  years  he 
has  been  continuously  in  active  business,  and  throughout  the  entire  period  has 
never  missed  more   than   four  or  five   days   because   of   illness.      In   addition   to   his 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  243 

extensive  lumber  interests  which  he  is  now  capably  managing,  he  is  also  a  director 
of  the  Grand  Avenue  Bank  of  St.  Louis.  What  he  has  undertaken  he  has  accom- 
plished. He  is  a  man  of  resolute  purpose  who  never  stops  short  of  the  successful 
achievement  of  his  plans,  and  the  course  which  he  ha&  pursued  has  always  been 
such  as  would  bear  the  closest  investigation  and  scrutiny,  at  all  times  measuring 
up  to  the  highest  commercial  standards  and  ethics. 

At  Thayer,  Kansas,  on  the  24th  of  November,  1872,  Mr.  Robinson  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Kate  Elizabeth  Stall,  a  daughter  of  David  Stall,  a  farmer,  now 
deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robinson  have  become  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two 
daughters:  Calvin  L.  who  married  Mary  Summers,  is  now  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  in  New  York;  Arthur  D.  who  married  Martha  Pullen,  is  a  mechanical  en- 
gineer, who  is  in  China  on  a  nine  year  employment  contract.  He  is  the  patentee 
of  a  formula  for  dry-egg  which  is  used  by  bakers;  Frederick  M.  is  vice  president  and 
general  manager  of  the  E.  C.  Robinson  Lumber  Company  and  married  Lenore  Clay- 
ball.  The  daughters  are  Cora  and  Lena,  the  latter,  the  wife  of  W.  B.  Christian, 
manager  of  the  St.  Louis  office  tor  Wagner  &  Company,  brokers. 

Mr.  Robinson  is  well  known  In  Masonic  circles,  belonging  to  Tuscan  Lodge, 
No.  360,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  was  raised  in  Thayer,  Kansas,  April  3,  1874;  took  the 
Royal  Arch  degrees  in  Ottawa,  Kansas,  February  13,  1892;  and  became  a  Knight 
Templar  on  the  1st  of  March,  of  the  same  year.  He  took  the  Scottish  Rite  degrees 
in  St.  Louis,  April  1,  1901,  and  joined  the  Mystic  Shrine  on  the  30th  of  July,  1892. 
He  also  became  a  member  of  Hiram  Council,  R.  &  S.  M.  March  23,  1893.  He  thus 
has  taken  the  degrees  of  both  the  York  and  Scottish  Rites  and  is  a  loyal  follower, 
adhering  to  the  purposes  and  teachings  of  the  craft.  He  is  now  treasurer  of  the 
Masonic  Temple  Association.  Mr.  Robinson  belongs  to  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce of  St.  Louis,  also  to  the  City  Club.  His  political  course  is  that  of 
an  independent  democrat,  who  while  usually  voting  the  party  ticket  does 
not  hesitate  to  do  otherwise  if  his  judgment  so  dictates.  His  religious  faith  is 
that  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  During  the  war  period  he  actively  supported  all 
interests  and  projects  promoted  for  financing  the  war  and  during  one  drive  sold 
liberty  bonds  in  the  Wright  building,  at  St.  Louis,  to  the  sum  of  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars.  No  one  has  ever  questioned  his  one  hundred  percent 
Americanism.  His  business  career  should  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  and  en- 
couragement to  others,  showing  what  can  be  accomplished. 


GEORGE   THOMAS   MOORE. 


George  Thomas  Moore,  director  of  the  Missouri  Botanical  Gardens  and  one 
of  the  eminent  botanists  of  the  country,  was  born  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  February 
23,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  George  T.  and  Margaret  (Marshall)  Moore,  the  latter  a 
member  of  the  same  family  as  Chief  Justice  Marshall  of  the  United  States  Supreme 

court. 

George  T.  Moore,  after  attending  the  public  schools  of  Indianapolis,  continued 
his  education  in  Wabash  College  of  Indiana  from  1890  until  1894  and  in  189  5 
matriculated  at  Harvard,  where  he  studied  until  1900,  winning  his  Bachelor  of 
Arts  degree  in  189  5,  his  Master  of  Arts  degree  in  189  6  and  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Philosophy  in  1900.  Having  specialized  in  botany,  he  has  devoted  his  life  to 
scientific  work  of  that  character.  From  1899  until  1901  inclusive  he  was  pro- 
fessor in  botany  at  Dartmouth  College  and  from  19  02  until  19  0  6  inclusive  he  was 
connected  with  the  United  States  department  of  agriculture.  He  devoted  the  years 
1907  and  1908  to  private  work  as  a  consulting  botanist  and  in  1909  was  appointed 
physiologist  of  the  Missouri  Botanical  Gardens,  which  position  he  filled  until  1912, 
when  he  was  made  director  of  the  gardens  and  still  occupies  this  position.  His 
reading  and  research  have  placed  him  with  the  eminent  botanists  of  the  country. 
He  was  in  charge  of  the  Marine  Biological  Laboratories  at  Woods  Hole,  Massa- 
chusetts, from  1905  until  1919  and  in  the  latter  year  resigned.  He  was  also  editor 
of  the  botanical  work  in  connection  with  the  Century  Dictionary  and  is  botanical 
editor  of  the  American  Year  Book  and  American  editor  on  Physiology  of  Potanisches 
Centralelatt.  Along  the  line  of  his  specialty  he  has  made  valuable  contribution 
to  the  world's  work,  his  writings  being  of  distinct  worth  in  connection  with  the 
promotion  of  the  botanical  science. 


244  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

On  the  30th  of  December,  1896.  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  Mr.  Moore  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  L.  Hall  and  to  them  have  been  born  two  children: 
Harriett  H.,  fourteen  years  of  age;    and  Thomas  G.,  a  lad  of  twelve. 

Mr.  Moore  is  well  known  in  club  circles  of  St.  Louis,  belonging  to  the  St. 
Louis,  University,  Glen  Echo  Country,  Town  and  Gown,  and  Round  Table  Clubs. 
He  also  belongs  to  three  Greek  letter  fraternities — the  Phi  Gamma  Delta,  the  Phi 
Beta  Kappa  and  the  Sigma  Xi.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican 
party.  He  stood  with  the  millions  of  American  citizens  who  made  ready  response 
to  the  call  for  the  utilization  of  all  needed  efforts  in  connection  with  the  prosecu- 
tion of  the  war  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  committee  on  raw  material  and  of 
the  committee  on  botanical  work  of  the  National  Council  of  Defense  and  was 
connected  with  the  food  commission  as  a  director  of  production.  He  was  also 
actively  associated  with  the  Red  Cross  work  and  thus  in  various  fields  made  con- 
tribution to  the  home  activities  which  were  the  sustaining  influence  of  the  fighting 
men  at  the  front.  As  director  of  the  Missouri  Botanical  Gardens  he  has  contributed 
to  the  development  in  St.  Louis  of  an  institution  of  this  character  of  which  the 
city  has  every  reason  to  be  proud,  for  under  his  guidance  its  standards  have  been 
still  farther  promoted  and  its  work  extended  along  the  lines  of  usefulness  and  of 
pleasure. 


WILLIAM    FRANCIS   CARTER. 

William  Francis  Carter,  president  of  the  St.  Louis  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  a 
well  known  attorney  practicing  as  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Carter,  Collins  & 
Jones,  in  which  connection  he  specializes  in  commercial  law.  was  born  October  30, 
1867,  at  Farmington,  Missouri.  His  father.  Judge  William  Carter,  a  representative 
of  a  distinguished  Virginia  family,  was  born  in  Missouri  in  1830  and  for  a  half 
century  was  a  prominent  legist  and  jurist,  serving  for  twelve  years  upon  the  bench 
of  the  circuit  court.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Louisville  Law  School  of  the  class 
of  1853  and  throughout  his  professional  career  his  course  was  one  which  reflected 
honor  and  credit  upon  the  Missouri  bar.  His  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the 
democratic  party  and  fraternally  he  was  connected  with  the  Masons.  He  married 
Maria  Mcllvaine,  who  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Missouri,  a  daughter  of 
Colonel  Jesse  H.  Mcllvaine.  She  passed  away  in  1901.  while  the  death  of  Judge 
Carter  occurred  on  the  22d  of  July,  1902.  The  Mcllvaine  family  came  from  Ken- 
tucky, making  settlement  in  Washington  county,  Missouri,  and  the  grandfather, 
Jesse  H.  Mcllvaine,  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  the  Iron  Mountain  Railway.  In 
ante-bellum  days  he  also  represented  his  district  in  the  state  senate  for  a  number 
of  years  and  was  a  warm  admirer  and  faithful  political  follower  of  Thomas  Benton. 
He  was  a  brother-in-law  ot  Governor  Dunklin,  while  one  of  his  sisters  became  the 
wife  of  Senator  Yell,  of  Arkansas,  who  fell  in  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista.  There  were 
seven  children  in  the  family  of  William  and  Maria  (Mcllvaine)  Carter,  of  whom 
six  are  living,  including  Major  General  Jesse  Mcllvaine  Carter,  of  the  Eleventh  or 
Lafayette  Division  of  the  United  States  army. 

•  William  Francis  Carter,  after  attending  the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis,  con- 
tinued his  education  in  Smith  Academy  and  in  the  University  of  Michigan,  'in  which 
he  pursued  a  law  course,  being  graduated  wath  the  class  of  1890.  He  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Marble  Hill,  Bollinger  county.  Missouri,  in  the  same  year  and  in  1892 
he  sought  the  broader  opportunities  afforded  through  the  complex  interests  of  city 
life  by  removal  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  has  since  built  up  a  large  clientage,  figuring 
prominently  in  much  of  the  litigation  that  has  constituted  the  work  of  the  local 
courts.  His  addresses  before  the  courts  are  characterized  by  perspicuity  and  often 
by  a  terseness  that  seems  to  put  almost  into  a  single  sentence  the  very  essence  of  his 
case,  presenting  it  with  a  clearness  that  could  not  be  attained  in  an  extensive 
elaboration.  He  has  largely  specialized  in  commercial  law,  of  which  he  has  wide 
and  comprehensive  knowledge,  and  his  legal  advice  has  been  sought  by  numerous 
large  business  houses.  Through  his  own  efforts,  ability  and  merit  he  has  built  up  a 
splendid  practice  and  since  1904  has  been  at  the  head  of  the  firm  of  Carter,  Collins 
&  Jones. 

Mr.  Carter  has  also  been  a  well  known  figure  in  various  other  business  con- 
nections.     He   was   the  active   vice   president   of   the   Mercantile   Trust   Company   of 


WILLIAM  F.  CARTER 


TK!  nw  un 

P't^UlMl  HORARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  247 

St.  Louis  until  1919  and  is  now  one  of  its  directors,  having  retired  from  the  vice 
presidency  to  reenter  upon  the  practice  of  law  with  his  son.  He  is  identified  with 
many  important  corporate  interests  of  the  city  as  a  director,  including  the  ScuUin 
Steel  Company,  Jefferson  Hotel  Company,  Missouri  State  Life  Insurance  Company, 
Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney  Dry  Goods  Company,  Scruggs,  Vandervoort  &  Barney 
Bank.  Industrial  Loan  Company,  International  Abrasive  Company  of  Boston  and 
the  Fidelity  Capital  Corporation  of  Boston. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1893,  at  Ferguson,  Missouri,  Mr.  Carter  was  married 
to  Miss  Grace  Thoroughman,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Thoroughman,  a  prom- 
inent attorney,  who  was  formerly  connected  with  the  Iron  Mountain  Railway  as 
general  attorney.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carter  have  become  parents  of  two  children.  The 
daughter,  Martha  Wright,  is  now  at  home.  The  son,  Emmet  T.  Carter,  was  educated 
in  Westminster  College  and  in  the  Washington  University  Law  School,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1917.  He  is  now  connected  with  the  firm  of  Carter,  Collins  & 
Jones.  He  married  Lillian  Baker,  of  St.  Louis,  and  they  have  a  daughter,  Mary 
Frances. 

Mr.  Carter  is  a  member  of  the  American  Bar  Association,  also  of  the  Missouri 
State  Bar  Association' and  the  St.  Louis  Bar  Association.  He  is  connected  with  the 
Phi  Delta  Phi,  a  legal  fraternity,  and  that  he  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  social 
organizations  of  St.  Louis  is  indicated  by  his  membership  in  the  St.  Louis,  Noonday 
and  Bellerive  Clubs  of  St.  Louis  and  the  Bankers'  Club  of  New  Yorlc  city.  He  is 
likewise  a  member  of  Occidental  Lodge,  No.  63,  A.,  P.  &  A.  M.  In  politics  he  is  a 
democrat,  and  while  he  has  never  held  political  office  that  carries  with  it  a  remunera- 
tion, he  has  done  important  public  work  for  the  city  and  is  now  a  member  of  the 
city  plan  commission  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  recently  appointed  a  member  of  the 
school  board  by  Mayor  Kiel.  He  has  long  been  deeply  and  helpfully  interested  in 
philanthropic  work  and  has  been  active  in  promotion  of  the  Red  Cross  interests, 
his  team  being  the  ranking  one  in  recent  drives.  He  has  been  the  vice  president 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  was  elected  to  the  presidency  of  that  organization 
in  November,  1919,  the  Chamber  thus  electing  as  its  head  a  native  Missourian  of 
tried  powers  who  modestly  disclaims  any  distinction  and  yet  who  has  gained  a  com- 
manding position  as  a  corporation  lawyer  of  the  city  and  as  an  officer  and  director 
in  some  of  the  largest  commercial  and  industrial  concerns  of  St.  Louis. 


EMMET   T.   CARTER. 


Emmet  T.  Carter,  one  of  the  young  lawyers  of  St.  Louis  who  is  making  rapid 
advancement  in  his  chosen  profession,  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  October  20,  1894,  his 
parents  being  William  Francis  and  Grace  (Thoroughman)  Carter,  mention  of  whom 
is  made  at  length  in  this  work.  In  the  acquirement  of  his  education,  Emmet  T. 
Carter  attended  Smith's  Academy  at  St.  Louis  and  also  St.  John's  School  at  Delafield, 
Wisconsin,  and  Westminster  College  at  Fulton,  Missouri.  Thus  he  laid  broad  and 
deep  the  foundation  upon  which  to  rear  the  superstructure  of  his  professional 
knowledge  which  was  acquired  in  the  Washington  University  school  of  law,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1917  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
sterling  qualities  who  holds  to  high  ideas  and  it  is  evident  that  he  is  making  it  his 
purpose  to  maintain  the  high  standards  that  always  found  expression  in  his  father's 
life.  He  entered  upon  the  general  practice  of  law  in  the  office  of  the  firm  of  Collins, 
Barker  &  Britton,  in  1917,  and  continued  with  them  until  December  31,  1918.  He 
then  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Carter,  Collins  &  Jones,  conducting  a  general 
law  practice,  and  although  they  do  not  specialize  along  any  particular  line  they 
handle  much  important  coropration  practice.  In  fact  some  of  the  most  important 
corporate  reorganization  work  has  been  effected  by  them.  Something  of  his  pro- 
fessional ability  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  was  admitted  to  a  partnership  by 
his  former  employer.  He  is  recognized  as  a  thoughtful,  studious  young  man,  pos- 
sessed of  a  well  balanced  mind  which  he  is  developing  through  his  literary  studies 
in  his  leisure  hours.  Moreover,  he  holds  to  the  highest  of  professional  standards 
and  is  opposed  to  using  his  profession  to  aid  in  the  committal  or  defense  of  wrong. 
Already  he  has  made  for  himself  the  position  which  indicates  that  his  future  career 
will  be  well  worth  watching. 

During  the  World  war  Mr.  Carter  was  active  in  support  of  all  of  the  Liberty 


248  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Loan  drives  and  served  on  the  legal  advisory  board  in  district  No.  7.  His  work  in 
this  division  required  close  and  constant  attention  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  were 
many  foreign  born  in  the  district,  largely  Armenians.  Being  physically  unqualified 
Mr.  Carter  was  unable  to  join  the  army,  much  to  his  disappointment,  but  in  every 
possible  way  he  aided  in  the  support  of  the  purposes  of  the  government  in  upholding 
the  cause  of  world  democracy. 

On  the  23d  of  January.  1918,  Mr.  Carter  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lillian 
Baker,  at  St.  Louis.  She  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent 
New  England  families,  and  traces  her  ancestry  back  in  a  direct  line  to  Gov.  William 
Bradford  of  Plymouth,  whose  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Nottingham,  England, 
and  died  in  1596.  The  father  of  Gov.  Bradford  died  when  the  son  was  quite  young 
and  he  then  lived  with  his  grandfather  by  whom  he  was  reared.  Later  he  went  to 
Holland  and  was  married  in  Amsterdam  on  the  9th  of  December,  161,3,  to  Dorothea 
May,  his  age  being  recorded  as  twenty-three  and  hers  as  sixteen.  They  embarked 
for  England,  July  22,  1620,  and  sailed  from  Plymouth  on  the  6th  of  September 
of  that  year  on  the  Mayflower,  reaching  Cape  Cod  in  November.  The  ancestral 
line  comes  down  directly  to  William  Bradford,  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Carter  who 
came  to  Missouri  in  1820  casting  his  lot  with  the  other  pioneer  settlers  of  this 
state,  his  daughter  becoming  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Carter.  They  are  only  twice 
removed  in  the  Marmaduke  line  and  are  connected  through  the  ties  of  blood  with 
the  Pierson  and  Jackson  families.  Rev.  Abraham  Pierson  was  the  first  president  ot 
Yale  College. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carter  occupy  an  enviable  social  position,  many  of  the  most  attrac- 
tive homes  in  St.  Louis  being  cordially  opened  to  them.  Politically,  Mr.  Carter  is 
a  democrat  and  he  and  his  wife  have  membership  in  the  Episcopal  church.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Kappa  Alpha  and  Phi  Delta  Phi,  Greek  letter  fraternities,  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Missouri  Athletic  Association  and  of  the  Bellerive  Country  Club.  He  is 
extremely  fond  of  golf  and  of  fishing,  to  which  he  turns  for  recreation  when  leisure 
permits,  but  the  major  part  ot  his  attention  is  concentrated  upon  his  professional 
duties,  and  his  industry  and  intelligent  application  have  won  tor  him  his  present 
gratifying   success. 


JESSE  CLYDE  NICHOLS. 


Jesse  Clyde  Nichols,  a  recognized  authority  on  city  building  through  the  avenue 
of  residential  real  estate  development,  has  been  actuated  in  all  that  he  has  under- 
taken by  imagination,  idealism  and  initiative,  combined  with  untiring  industry 
and  determination  that  never  stops  short  of  the  successful  accomplishment  of  his 
purpose.  Thus  he  has  produced  results  in  Kansas  City  that  have  added  greatly 
to  its  beauty,  making  it  most  attractive  for  home  owners.  He  has  ever  worked 
in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  enterprise  which  has  been  a  dominent  factor  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  west,  a  spirit  that  has  taken  cognizance  of  the  experiences  and 
values  of  the  older  east  and  the  opportunities  for  development  in  a  new  district. 

Mr.  Nichols  was  born  at  Olathe,  Kansas,  August  23,  1880.  a  son  of  Jesse  T. 
and  Josie  (Jackson)  Nichols.  His  father,  a  native  of  Ohio,  went  to  Kansas  in 
1869  and  there  largely  followed  farming  but  afterward  became  treasurer  and 
organizer  of  the  largest  cooperative  store  in  the  state.  He  was  of  Scotch  ancestry 
and  a  Quaker  by  birth  and  training.  He  was  actively  identified  with  the  Populist 
cause  when  that  movement  was  in  its  prime  and  subsequently  supported  the  demo- 
cratic party,  filling  the  office  of  county  treasurer  of  Johnson  county  for  four  years. 
He  organized  a  packing  plant  at  Olathe,  still  conducted  under  the  name  of  the 
Olathe  Packing  Company,  and  was  also  prominent  in  the  Farmers  Grange  in  which 
he  held  office.  He  had  wide  influence  among  the  agricultural  population  ot  Kansas 
and  at  one  time  was  proposed  for  state  treasurer  but  declined  to  become  a  candi- 
date. His  honesty  was  proverbial  and  he  was  especially  distinguished  by  that 
strength  of  character  and  intellect  which  is  none  the  less  powerful  because  quietly 
operative.  He  was  most  ardent  in  his  supi-ort  ot  the  temperance  cause  and  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  which  his  wife  joined  with  her  husband,  although  reared 
a  Methodist.  They  were  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  their  family,  surrounded  their 
children  with  excellent  home  influences  and  gave  them  liberal  educational  oppor- 
tunities.     Mr.   Nichols  passed  away   February    13,   1916.      His  wife   was  a  native  of 


EMMET  T.  CARTER 


THl  NZW  Tour 
'•«?BI1C  HORARY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  251 

Georgia  and  she  and  her  family  went  through  some  thrilling  experiences  in  Civil 
war  days.  Her  father,  Zachariah  Nathaniel  Jackson,  was  drafted  into  the  Con- 
federate army  and  made  a  captain.  He  always  abhorred  slavery,  however,  and 
becoming  convinced  that  the  south  was  wrong  in  its  struggle  to  secede  from  the 
Union,  he  joined  the  Northern  army.  His  wife  had  become  a  nurse  in  the  Union 
army,  and  through  three  years'  service  was  promoted  to  head  nurse  in  one  of  the 
large  hospitals  in  the  eastern  war  district.  In  the  meantime  their  Georgia  home 
had  been  burned  by  the  Union  forces  and  Josie  Jackson  (afterward  Mrs.  Nichols) 
and  the  other  children  were  taken  northward  by  the  Union  troops.  Mrs.  Jackson 
wrote  a  book  describing  her  experiences  as  a  war  nurse. 

Jesse  C.  Nichols  attended  the  rural  school  and  the  common  and  high  schools 
of  Olathe  and  although  his  father  was  a  man  in  prosperous  circumstances  and  will- 
ing to  encourage  his  son  in  every  way,  the  son  did  much  to  provide  his  own  expenses 
during  his  school  days.  In  the  summer  vacations  he  worked  on  farms  or  ran  a 
country  produce  business  and  for  several  years  clerked  in  stores,  bakeries  and 
restaurants  at  Olathe  on  Saturdays.  For  a  year  he  conducted  a  wholesale  meat 
market  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  handled  the  sales  end  of  the  Olathe  Packing 
Company's  business. 

Mr.  Nichols  attended  the  University  of  Kansas  from  1898  until  1902,  winning 
his  A.  B.  degree.  While  concerned  in  every  student  and  university  activity  his 
scholarship  record  had  been  excelled  only  once  in  the  history  of  the  university. 
This  seems  the  more  creditable  because  he  paid  his  way  through  school  by  working 
as  steward  in  a  student  club,  by  selling  meat  products  to  retail  stores  and  acting 
as  correspondent  to  the  Kansas  City  Star.  He  pursued  a  general  course  in  the 
university,  but  even  then  it  was  his  ambition  to  study  law.  At  Lawrence  he  was 
the  leader  in  college  politics,  manager  of  athletic  teams,  a  class  officer,  assisted 
on  the  college  newspaper  and  was  a  member  of  the  student  council,  and  organized 
the  entire  alumni  of  the  state.  He  became  a  member  of  the  Beta  Theta  Pi  and 
was  elected  to  the  honorary  scholarship  fraternity.  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  He  won  a 
scholarship  at  Harvard  and  was  graduated  in  1903.  During  the  vacation  of  1900, 
he  worked  his  way  to  Europe  on  a  cattle  ship  and  then  toured  the  continent  on  a 
bicycle,  the  entire  trip  costing  him  only  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars.  The 
vacation  period  of  1901  was  spent  in  selling  maps  in  Utah,  Oregon  and  Washington 
and  for  one  month  he  acted  as  deputy  under  United  States  Marshal  Glenn  Miller  in 
Utah.  While  in  the  Kansas  University  he  largely  reorganized  the  Athletic  Associa- 
tion and  helped  put  athletics  on  a  strictly  amateur  basis.  Following  his  Harvard 
course  he  had  an  instructive  and  recreative  experience  on  a  walking  tour  over 
New  England.  He  has  always  been  keenly  interested  is  university  affairs,  served 
as  president  of  his  alumni  class  and  as  president  of  the  Alumni  Association  and  in 
different  ways  assisted  in  promoting  measures  through  the  legislature  for  the  benefit 
of  the  university. 

Soon  after  leaving  college  he  entered  the  real  estate  field,  in  which  his  opera- 
tions have  been  guided  by  idealism,  vision,  farsightedness  and  what  might  be  called 
an  enlightened  view  of  his  own  interests  and  those  of  his  clients,  which  puts  him 
almost  in  a  class  by  himself. 

His  greatest  single  achievement  was  the  development  of  the  Country  Club 
district,  said  to  be  the  largest  high  class  residence  district  in  America.  It  em- 
bodies the  best  modern  thought  in  scientific  planning  and  the  district  has  already 
been  accepted  as  a  model  throughout  the  country.  He  is  a  national  authority  in 
residence  subdivision,  and  the  development  work  carried  on  under  his  direction  in 
Kansas  City  has  revolutionized  residence  property  management  and  improvement, 
and  has  created  new  ideals  of  beauty  and  new  standards  for  landscape  treatment 
and  the  laying  out  of  residence  property,  so  that  landscape  architects  and  architects 
all  over  the  country  have  gained  new  ideas  and  have  closely  studied  all  he  has  done, 

It  would  require  a  long  article  to  describe  all  his  original  ideas  and  methods 
exemplified  in  his  developments  around  Kansas  City.  He  early  realized  that  there 
is  more  to  a  residence  district  than  the  customary  house  and  lot  unit.  In  seeking 
to  create  atmosphere  and  an  interesting  environment  some  years  ago  he  started 
a  campaign  to  interest  people  in  birds  and  in  less  than  three  years'  time  had  more 
than  two  thousand  bird  houses  erected  on  his  property.  This  method  has  been 
widely  copied.  He  secured  the  services  of  Ernest  Harold  Baynes,  the  noted  New 
Hampshire  ornithologist,  who  came  to  the  Country  Club  district  and  delivered  lec- 
tures on  birds  and  means  of  attracting  them.      Mr.   Nichols  also  established  prizes 


252  CEXTEXXIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

in  the  schools  and  sent  out  oivculais  in  lots  of  from  five  to  ten  thousand  to  people 
throughout  Kansas  City  for  the  purpose  of  stimulating  interest  in  bird  life.  He 
instituted  similar  plans  for  the  promotion  of  flower  gardening  and  secured  one 
lecturer  on  the  subject  from  England,  having  the  lecture  repeated  in  the  high 
schools  of  Kansas  City  and  thus  arousing  a  general  interest  in  the  beautifying  of 
homes  and  grounds.  In  the  same  way  he  improved  the  knowledge  and  taste  of 
local  people  in  architecture,  landscape  gardening,  vegetable  gardening,  and  many 
other  things  that  make  home  life  attractive.  He  has  established  a  community 
newspaper,  golf  club,  riding  academy,  community  shopping  centers  of  artistic 
design,  playgrounds,  pageants,  etc.,  and  has  secured  also  a  Community  Secretary  to 
arouse  interest   in   community  affairs. 

When  Mr.  Nichols  began  his  development  work  he  found  a  general  prejudice 
existing  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  against  having  homes  on  the  Kansas  side.  To 
combat  this  prejudice  he  deliberately  set  about  creating  a  residence  section  in 
Johnson  county,  Kansas,  just  across  the  state  line.  This  movement  had  as  its 
nucleus  the  Mission  Hills  Country  Club  organized  by  Mr.  Nichols  and  which  is  today 
equally  popular  with  any  other  club  around  Kansas  City.  The  Mission  Hills  Country 
Club  is  surrounded  by  a  magnificent  tract  of  four  hundred  acres,  which  Mr.  Nichols 
is  developing  as  Mission  Hills.  It  is  probably  laid  out  more  scientifically  and  more 
beautifully  than  any  other  section  of  Kansas  and  will  ultimately  carry  many  mil- 
lions of  dollars  into  Kansas.  A  resident  of  Mission  Hills  has  the  exceptional 
opportunities  of  a  large  city  for  the  enjoyment  of  business,  education,  society, 
music,  art,  theatres  and  clubs,  and  in  addition  the  advantages  of  the  quiet  rural 
environment  of  the  Kansas  side.  For  this  section  Mr.  Nichols  incorporated  a  novel 
community  form  of  self  government  which  has  attracted  much  comment. 

Mr.  Nichols  realized  some  years  ago  the  immense  loss  sustained  by  larger 
cities  through  the  shittings  and  declining  of  residence  sections  as  a  result  of  the 
intrusion  and  encroachment  of  business  and  factories.  Thus  in  the  development 
of  these  residence  districts  around  Kansas  City  he  has  worked  out  restrictions 
to  anchor  and  protect  permanent  residence  sections  for  long  periods.  Some  of  these 
residence  restrictions  evolved  by  him  are  perhaps  entirely  new  and  their  benefits 
have  been  made  applicable  to  other  communities  for  Mr.  Nichols  has  sustained 
the  principles  through  several  cases  upheld  in  the  United  States  Supreme  Court. 
The  main  feature  in  the  development  of  his  property  has  been  to  create  interesting 
home  sites,  and  quiet  residence  ways  separated  from  the  traffic  ways,  where  chil- 
dren may  play  with  safety  and  amid  healthful  surroundings.  Wide  open  spaces 
are  carefully  provided  between  the  homes,  historic  points  and  beautiful  vistas 
have  been  preserved  and  the  natural  beauty  accentuated  wherever  possible. 

As  a  recognized  authority  on  city  development  and  city  planning  Mr.  Nichols 
has  been  called  to  many  other  communities  and  has  addressed  real  estate  associa- 
tions and  civic  organizations  in  Louisville,  New  Orleans,  Los  Angeles,  Chicago. 
Cleveland,  St.  Louis,  Omaha,  Harrisburg,  Evansville,  Baltimore  and  Washington, 
D.  C.  In  1914  before  the  national  convention  of  Real  Estate  Exchanges  at  Louis- 
ville he  delivered  an  address  on  efficient  methods  of  platting  residence  property. 
This  address  was  printed  in  pamphlet  form  by  the  American  Civic  Association  and 
ten  thousand  copies  have  been  distributed  to  the  real  estate  associations  and  city 
officials  of  America  and  a  second  edition  of  the  pamphlet  was  required  to  supply 
the  demand.  In  November,  1915,  he  delivered  an  address  before  the  American 
Civic  Association  on  creating  good  residence  neighborhoods  by  planning.  At  that 
meeting,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  American  Civic 
Association  and  has  since  become  vice  president  of  the  association.  In  March, 
1916,  he  talked  on  city  planning  before  the  National  Association  of  Real  Estate 
Exchanges  in  New  Orleans.  The  association  printed  this  address  for  distribution 
and  its  substance  was  subsequently  repeated  before  the  annual  city  planning  con- 
ference in  Cleveland  and  before  the  Chicago  City  Planning  Conference  and  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  Nichols  is  a  director  of  the  National  City  Planning  Conference.  Articles 
from  his  pen  upon  such  subjects  as  housing  and  city  planning  have  been  published 
in  the  American  Homes  and  Gardens  magazine.  The  Survey,  The  Ladies  Home 
Journal,  House  and  Gardens,  Annals  of  Political  Economy  and  other  publications. 
At  the  present  writing  Mr.  Nichols  is  engaged  on  a  series  of  articles  on  planning 
and  replanning  small  towns  from  the  standpoint  of  efficiency,  economy  and  beauty. 
His    wide    experience    and    thorough    insight    have    mad3    him    keenly    realize    the 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  253 

economic  waste  in  Kansas  towns  and  elsewhere  through  the  method  on  which 
they  lay  out  their  streets  and  Improvements.  Such  improvements  follow  a  hap- 
hazard stereotyped  method,  due  to  custom  rather  than  the  advantage  of  use,  and 
such  methods  destroy  the  individuality  and  charm  of  the  place  and,  more  important 
still,  place  a  greater  burden  of  cost  in  proportion  upon  the  city  than  is  necessary. 
He  was  instrumental  in  having  a  city  planning  board  established  in  Kansas  City. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-seven  Mr.  Nichols  was  elected  director  of  the  Commerce 
Trust  Company  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  was  at  that  time  the  youngest  bank 
director  in  the  city.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  The 
University  Club,  The  Business  Men's  Accident  and  Assurance  Association,  .The 
Mission  Hills  Country  Club,  the  Kansas  City  Real  Estate  Board,  the  Kansas  City 
Title  and  Trust  Company,  the  Morris  Plan  Bank,  and  the  Continental  Lite  Insurance 
Company.  He  is  president  of  the  Fine  Arts  Institute.  He  is  vice  chairman  of  the 
Liberty  Memorial  Association  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  the  campaign  rais- 
ing two  million  dollars  in  eight  days  for  Kansas  City's  memorial  to  her  boys  in 
the  World  war.  He  is  also  vice  chairman  of  the  American  Civic  Association,  the 
leading  national  association  for  civic  betterment.  He  is  president  of  a  number  of 
commercial  companies  controlling  more  than  ten  million  dollars  worth  of  property 
in  Kansas  City,  known  as  the  Country  Club  district.  He  is  treasurer  of  the  Kansas 
City  Conservatory  of  Music  and  vice  president  of  the  Kansas  City  Provident  Asso- 
ciation and  has  active  connection  with  various  other  philanthropic  organizations. 
He  was  vice  chairman  of  the  bond  committee  which  conducted  the  campaign  by 
which  five  million  dollars  was  voted  in  bonds  for  local  improvement  in  Kansas  City. 
He  also  took  a  leading  part  in  the  extension  of  the  city  limits. 

Needless  to  say  Mr.  Nichols  is  a  man  in  love  with  his  work.  He  has  that 
quality  of  enthusiasm  which  may  be  likened  to  a  dynamo  and  yet  is  tempered, 
regulated  and  controlled  by  a  wisdom  and  judgment  that  comprehend  all  the 
dimensions  of  a  subject,  so  that  in  reality  his  enthusiasm  Is  the  truest  conservatism. 
He  is  regarded  as  a  genius  in  organizing  ability. 

Mr.  Nichols  is  married  and  has  a  happy  family.  He  was  married  June  18, 
1905,  to  Miss  Jessie  Eleanor  Miller,  of  Olathe,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Nichols  is  a  graduate 
of  Vassar  College.  Her  father,  M.  G.  Miller,  was  the  pioneer  banker  of  Olathe. 
organizer  of  the  Olathe  State  Bank.  He  was  also  a  merchant  and  put  up  the 
largest  building  in  Olathe  for  business  purposes,  was  owner  of  the  flour  mill  and 
telephone  company  and  might  also  be  classed  as  the  most  extensive  farmer  in 
Johnson  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nichols  have  three  children,  Eleanor  Miller,  Miller, 
and  Jesse  Clyde,  Jr. 

Mr.  Nichols  is  a  democrat  in  politics.  He  has  ever  been  deeply  interested 
in  the  cause  of  public  education  and  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the  public 
school  board  as  well  as  a  trustee  in  a  private  school.  He  took  an  active  and 
helpful  part  in  war  work,  serving  as  chairman  of  the  Red  Cross  Christmas  Roll 
Call  in  1917  and  1918  and  of  the  second  war  fund  campaign  in  1918,  while  of 
all  Liberty  Bond  and  Liberty  Memorial  campaigns  in  Kansas  City  he  was  vice 
chairman.  He  planned  and  put  into  execution  a  new  plan  of  campaign  called  the 
Kansas  City  geographical  plan,  which  has  since  been  adopted  in  all  money  raising 
campaigns   in   Kansas   City   and   many   other  large  cities. 


GEORGE  A.  DAVIES. 


George  A.  Davies  is  a  member  of  the  bar  of  St.  Louis,  in  which  city  he  was 
born  November  24,  1869.  His  father.  David  Davies,  a  native  of  Wales,  is  now 
deceased.  He  came  to  America  in  185  6  and  was  a  merchant  of  St.  Louis,  dealing 
in  steamboat  supplies,  his  place  of  business  being  located  on  Washington  avenue 
^nd  the  levee.  He  conducted  his  interests  in  a  most  successful  manner,  his  enter- 
prise and  sound  judgment  contributing  to  his  growing  prosperity.  He  married  Jane 
Payne  Shay,  a  daughter  of  William  Shay,  who  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the 
Broadway  Foundry  of  St.  Louis.  Her  mother's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Ann  Win- 
ston and  she  belonged  to  an  old  Herefordshire  (England)  family.  The  Shay 
family  has  long  been  represented  in  America,  for  the  great-grandfather,  Timothy 
Shay,  was  a  sergeant  in  Colonel  Ward's  regiment  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  He 
was  the  grandfather  of  Timothy  Shay  Arthur,  who  wrote  the  once  well  known 
and    extremely    popular    drama,    "Ten    Nights    in    a    Barroom."      There    has    been    a 


254  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

monument  erected  to  his  memory  in  North  Salem,  Westchester  county,  New  York, 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davies  were  born  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters: 
Thomas  Leveat,  deceased;  George  A.,  the  second  of  the  family;  David,  who  was 
a  telegraph  operator  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years;  Sarah  Philomina, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Colonel  Solomon  Price,  who  served  in  command  of  a  regi- 
ment of  Confederate  troops  in  the  Civil  war  and  is  now  deceased;  and  Anna,  who 
was  a  school  teacher  but  has  passed  away. 

George  A.  Davies,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  educated  in  public 
and  private  schools  and  after  completing  his  high  school  course  entered  Wash- 
ington University,  in  which  he  studied  for  two  years.  He  next  became  a  student 
in  the  Missouri  College  of  Law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1904.  He  acted 
as  district  agent  for  the  Phoenix  Insurance  Company  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  in 
addition  to  his  other  business  activities.  His  practice  has  been  confined  to  com- 
mercial and  corporation  law  and  in  these  branches  he  has  studied  most  thoroughly 
and  has  displayed  marked  devotion  to  the  interests  of  his  clients. 

There  is  an  interesting  military  chapter  in  the  life  record  of  Mr.  Davies.  Dur- 
ing the  Spanish-American  war  he  organized  Company  B  of  the  Missouri  troops, 
which  company  was  engaged  in  active  service.  He  was  elected  lieutenant  but  was 
unable  to  accompany  his  men  to  the  front,  for  he  was  stricken  with  fever  before 
the  order  came  to  proceed  to  the  scene  of  action.  During  the  recent  World  war 
he  was  on  the  legal  advisory  board  of  the  ninth  district  and  was  special  examiner 
for  allotments  and  allowances  for  the  treasury  department  of  the  United  States. 
He  worked  continuously  and  faithfully  throughout  the  entire  war  period,  sub- 
scribed most  liberally  to  the  sale  of  Liberty  bonds  and  other  war  activities  and 
aided  largely  in  promoting  the  various  drives. 

On  the  2d  of  February,  1887,  in  Venice,  Illinois,  Mr.  Davies  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  Haslam,  a  daughter  of  George  Haslam,  who  was  an 
engineer  on  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  in  Canada,  and  of  Ellen  (Ruston)  Haslam. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davies  have  became  parents  of  three  children,  two  daughters  and  a 
son.  The  latter,  Dr.  Leroy  W.  Davies,  was  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  Medical  Re- 
serve Corps  of  Missouri  troops.  He  is  now  connected  with  the  Missouri  state  board 
of  health,  identified  with  the  tuberculosis  section.  He  married  Vera  Pickel.  Ethel 
is  the  wife  of  Henry  Heil,  Jr.,  who  is  the  secretary  of  the  Henry  Heil  Chemical 
Company,  and  they  have  two  children,  Violet  and  Adele.  Lenore,  the  youngest  of 
the  family,  is  sixteen  years  of  age. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Davies  has  always  been  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the 
democratic  party  and  has  been  a  delegate  to  various  party  conventions.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  convention  that  met  at  Hannibal,  Missouri,  that  resulted  in  the 
election  of  Judge  Henry  W.  Bonds.  Mr.  Davies  has  himself  been  offered  various 
public  offices  but  has  consistently  refused  them,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  efforts 
and  attention  upon  his  professional  interests.  He  belongs  to  Aurora  Lodge  No. 
267,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  having  been  raised  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  Tuscan  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  In 
religious  faith  he  is  an  Episcopalian,  having  membership  with  the  Church  of  the 
Redeemer  in  St.  Louis.  Practically  his  entire  lite  has  been  passed  in  this  city 
and  the  sterling  worth  of  his  character  is  attested  in  the  fact  that  many  of  his 
stanchest  friends  are  those  who  have  known  him  from  his  boyhood  to  the  present 
time. 


XENOPHON  PIERCE  WILFLEY. 

Xenophon  Pierce  Wilfley.  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Wilfley,  Mclntyre,  Nardin 
&  Nelson  of  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Audrain  county,  Missouri,  March  18,  1871,  and  is  a 
son  of  James  Franklin  and  Sarah'  (Pindall)  Wilfley.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Callaway  county.  Missouri,  where  he  became  a  ■prominent  farmer.  He  was  a  leader 
in  his  community,  an  exemplary  representative  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  an  active 
and  valued  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  the  faith  of  which  he 
passed  away  in  1886.  He  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  Ken- 
tucky, his  father  having  been  born  in  that  state.  His  wife,  Sarah  (Pindall)  Wilfley, 
was  born  in  West  Virginia  and  is  now  living  in  St.  Louis.  They  had  a  family  of 
five  children,  three  of  whom  survive,  Xenophon  P.  having  been  the  fourth  in  order 


XENOPHON     P.  WILFLEY 


Vol.  Ill— 17 


TH!  ?,];■■*   (OIK 


.  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  257 

of  birth.  The  others  are:  Judge  Lebbeus  R.  Wilfley,  now  a  resident  of  New  York; 
and  James  Douglas,  who  resides  in   St.   Louis. 

Xenophon  P.  Wilfley  obtained  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Audrain  county,  Missouri,  and  afterward  attended  the  Clarksburg  (Mo.)  College, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1891.  The  Master  of  Arts  degree  was  conferred 
upon  him  at  his  graduation  from  <Central  College  of  Fayette,  Missouri,  in  1895  and 
he  entered  upon  the  profession  of  teaching  at  Sedalia,  Missouri,  spending  three 
years  in  high  school  work  there.  It  was  his  desire,  however,  to  become  a  member 
of  the  bar  and  he  entered  the  St.  Louis  Law  School,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
in  189  9.  He  immediately  afterward  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
first  becoming  associated  with  his  brother.  Judge  Wilfley,  with  whom  he  maintained 
professional  connections  until  1900,  when  his  brother  was  appointed  to  the  position 
of  attorney  general  of  the  Philippine  Islands.  Xenophon  P.  Wilfley  then  remained 
alone  in  practice  until  1910,  when  he  became  associated  with  J.  S.  Mclntyre  and  W. 
T.  Nardin  under  the  firm  style  of  Wilfley,  Mclntyre  &  Nardin.  They  have  since 
been  joined  by  a  fourth  partner,  leading  to  the  adoption  of  the  firm  name  of 
Wilfley,  Mclntyre,  Nardin  &  Nelson.  Mr.  Wilfley  has  largely  conflned  his  attention 
to  corporation  law  and  has  proven  his  ability  in  his  successful  and  able  conduct 
of  important  litigated  interests  before  the  court.  He  is  ever  careful  to  conform  his 
practice  to  the  highest  professional  ethics  and  standards  and  in  unusual  measure  he 
enjoys  the  confidence,  respect  and  goodwill  of  his  professional  colleagues  and 
contemporaries. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1908,  Mr.  Wilfley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Rosamond  Guthrie,  daughter  of  Judge  John  A.  and  Ella  (Forrest)  Guthrie,  of  Mexico, 
Missouri.  They  have  become  parents  of  two  children,  John  Franklin  and  Mary  Ellen, 
aged  respectively  ten  and  seven  years. 

Mr.  Wilfley  turns  to  golf  for  recreation.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
democratic  party  and  he  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  board  of  election  commis- 
sioners of  the  city  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  appointed  by  Governor  Frederick  D.  Gardner 
to  the  United  States  Senate  in  April,  1918,  to  succeed  William  J.  Stone,  deceased, 
and  served  until  November,  1918.  He  takes  an  active  and  helpful  part  in  the  work  of 
St.  John's  Southern  Methodist  church  and  is  a  member  of  its  board  of  stewards. 
He  also  belongs  to  Tuscan  Lodge,  No.  360,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  His  life  has  ever  been 
the  expression  of  high  ideals  and  his  professional  prominence  is  due  largely  to 
judgment,  integrity  and  energy.  While  he  has  made  the  practice  of  law  his  real 
life  work,  displaying  unfaltering  devotion  to  the  Interests  of  his  clients,  he  has  at  the 
same  time  recognized  and  improved  his  opportunities  for  public  service  and  assisted 
largely  in  various  campaigns  and  drives  during  the  world  war.  He  belongs  to  the 
Bellerive  Country,  University  and  Noonday  Clubs,  while  along  strictly  professional 
lines  he  is  identified  with  the  St.  Louis  Bar  Association,  the  Missouri  State  Bar 
Association  and  the  American  Bar  Association. 


SAMUEL  J.   DARR. 

Samuel  T.  Darr  was  a  respected  citizen  of  Livingston  county,  where  he  re- 
sided for  many  years.  There  was  nothing  spectacular  in  his  career.  He  lived  the 
quiet,  uneventful  life  of  the  farmer,  but  as  Thomas  Jefferson  has  said,  "The  de- 
velopment of  every  country  depends  upon  the  tillers  of  its  soil."  Mr.  Darr  was 
a  representative  agriculturist  whose  life  of  well  directed  energy,  industry  and  thrift 
made  him  one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  his  part  of  the  state.  His  life  span 
covered  about  seventy-five  years,  for  he  was  born  on  the  22d  of  August,  1838, 
in  Ohio,  and  passed  away  in  Missouri  on  the  15th  of  August,  1913.  His  parents 
were  Hiram  and  Maria  (Slaughter)  Darr,  also  natives  of  Ohio,  whence  they  re- 
moved westward  to  Missouri,  establishing  their  home  on  the  Grand  river,  near 
Chillicothe,  at  a  very  early  day.  In  the  early  '50s  Hiram  Darr  built  a  mill  on  the 
Grand  river  and  for  several  years  operated  the  Graham  mill. 

Samuel  T.  Darr  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  under  the  parental 
roof,  acquiring  a  public  school  education,  and  when  a  young  man  took  up  the 
milling  business,  which  he  had  learned  under  the  direction  of  his  father.  Later, 
however    he  severed  his  connection  with  that  industry  and  turned  his  attention  to 


258  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

farming,  which  he  followed  throughout  his  remaining  days,  bringing  his  land  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  converting  his  place  into  very  productive  fields 
from   which  he  annually  gathered  good  harvests. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  1860,  Mr.  Darr  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Girdner, 
who  passed  away  October  1,  1884.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  of 
whom  two  died  in  infancy,  the  others  being:  Joseph  M.,  who  was  born  December 
31,  1860;  and  Mary  E.,  who  was  born  October  18,  1863.  and  became  the  wife  of 
William  L.  Wanamaker,  of  Chillicothe,  who  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1860  and  was 
a  son  of  John  Wesley  Wanamaker.  also  a  native  of  Indiana.  The  latter  came  to 
Missouri,  settling  in  Livingston  county  when  his  son,  William  L.  Wanamaker.  was 
six  years  of  age.  William  L.  Wanamaker  acquired  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Chillicothe,  Missouri,  and  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  being  graduated  on  the  completion 
of  a  course  in  penmanship  from  the  latter  institution.  He  has  since  followed 
bookkeeping  and  is  employed  in  that  capacity  now.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wanamaker 
have  been  born  three  children:  William  Darr,  who  was  born  in  1891  and  is  in 
the  railroad  service;  Lucy  Elizabeth,  who  is  a  teacher;  and  Virgil  Raymond,  at 
home. 

The  son,  Joseph  M.  Darr,  was  married  in  January,  1889.  to  Miss  Minnie  Green 
and  to  them  has  been  born  one  child,  Francis  Marion,  who  is  now  with  the  Equit- 
able Insurance  Company  of  the  United  States,  whose  headquarters  are  in  Chicago. 
He  spent  four  years  in  the  University  of  Missouri  as  a  student  in  the  engineering 
and  electrical  department  and  was  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  regular  army,  a  member 
of  the  Forty-second  Infantry,  U.  S.  A.,  with  which  he  served  for  two  years. 

Since  about  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  Darr  family  has  been 
represented  in  Livingston  county,  Missouri,  and  throughout  the  intervening  period 
the  family  name  has  been  a  synonym  for  reliability  in  business,  for  loyalty  and 
progressiveness  in  citizenship.  Samuel  T.  Darr.  while  living  a  quiet  life,  gained 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him  and  his  sou  enjoys  equally  the  high 
regard  of  his  fellow  townsmen  of  Chillicothe,  where  he  is  now  representing  the 
Equitable  Life  Insurance  Company. 


J.  SHEPPARD  SMITH. 


J.  Sheppard  Smith,  vice  president  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  Trust  Company,  was 
born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  February  3.  1871.  a  son  of  Dr.  Elsworth  F.  and  Isabelle 
Chenie  Smith.  Having  completed  his  education  in  the  St.  Louis  University,  he  con- 
centrated his  efforts  and  attention  upon  financial  interests.  At  tht!  early  age  of 
seventeen  years  he  entered  the  banking  business  as  a  messenger  with  the  old 
Laclede  Bank  and  later  he  was  tor  a  time  with  the  Greeley-Burnhani  Grocer  Com- 
pany. He  then  became  connected  with  the  Scudder-Gale  Grocer  Company,  with 
which  he  continued  for  a  few  years,  when  he  reentered  financial  circles,  becoming 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Francis  Brothers  &  Company,  controlling  a  large  stock  and 
bond  business  in  St.  Louis.  In  March,  1915,  he  was  elected  to  the  vice  presidency 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley  Trust  Company,  and  thus  is  a  prominent  figure  in  con- 
nection with  one  of  the  most  important  financial  concerns  of  the  central  section 
of  the  country.  He  is  also  a  director  of  various  other  financial  and  mercantile 
interests,  including  the  Missouri  Portland  Cement  Company,  and  Missouri  State 
Life  Insurance  Company.  He  has  been  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Investment 
Bankers  Association  of  America,  having  served  for  several  years  upon  its  board 
of  directors,  also  as  treasurer,  and  was  elected  a  vice  president  during  the  year 
1919.  Throughout  his  entire  career  a  progressive  spirit  has  been  tempered  by  a 
conservatism  that  renders  his  handling  of  all  financial  affairs  safe.  He  has  dis- 
played also  notably  keen  sagacity  in  management  and  investments,  and  his  pro- 
nounced characteristics  are  such  as  have  won  him  classification  with  the  most 
substantial  of  the  moneyed  men  of  St.  Louis. 

In  1893  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  Miss  Sunie  Mitchell  Cabanne,  daughter  of 
J.  Charless  and  Sunie  (Mitchell)  Cabanne,  of  St.  Louis,  and  they  have  become  par- 
ents of  five  children:  Sunie  Cabanne,  Elsworth  F.,-J.  Sheppard,  Cabanne  and 
Mary  Ambrose.  The  family  residence  is  at  No.  4334  Westminster  avenue.  Mr. 
Smith  largely  obtains  his  recreation  from  golf,  being  a  devotee  of  the  game.  He 
belongs   also   to   the   Racquet   Club,    the   Noonday   Club   and    the   St.    Louis    Country 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  259 

Club,  and  of  the  first  named  was  at  one  time  president.  His  religious  faith  is  that 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  he  is  a  communicant  of  Cathedral  parish.  His 
political  endorsement  is  given  to  the  republican  party,  and  he  puts  forth  every 
possible  effort  to  secure  its  success,  believing  that  its  platform  contains  the  best 
elements  of  good  government.  There  is  always  weight  in  his  reason,  strength  in 
his  argument  and  sagacity  in  his  opinions  concerning  any  question,  whether  of  a 
public  character  or  having  to  do  with  the  development  of  the  vast  and  important 
financial  interests  which  he  has  directed. 


JUDGE  WILLIAM  O.  THOMAS. 

Judge  William  O.  Thomas,  a  prominent  representative  of  the  circuit  court 
bench  of  Kansas  City,  presiding  over  division  No.  4,  is  a  native  son  of  Jackson 
county,  born  January  18,  1857.  His  parents  were  Jesse  and  Elizabeth  (Bailey) 
Thomas,  both  of  whom  were  descended  from  Kentucky  ancestry.  The  father  came 
to  Jackson  county  in  1839,  settling  here  at  a  very  early  period  in  the  development 
of  the  west.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1804  and  was  but  ten  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  his  father's  death.  Following  his  removal  to  the  west  he  became  the 
owner  of  a  large  amount  of  land,  much  of  it  being  included  within  the  present 
boundary  limits  of  Kansas  City.  Like  all  men  of  his  day,  he  was  active  in  public 
affairs  and  did  much  toward  shaping  the  development  and  progress  of  the  section 
in  which  he  located.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  was  a  member  of  the  Home 
Guard,  and  while  he  did  not  take  an  active  part  in  the  Mormon  war  in  Jackson 
county,  he  was  a  witness  of  many  of  the  events  of  that  period.  At  the  time  of 
hostilities  between  the  north  and  the  south  a  lawless  element  called  the  "Red  Legs" 
came  to  kill  him,  but  he  was  saved  by  the  provost  marshal. 

Judge  Thomas,  after  pursuing  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Jackson  county,  spent  a  year  as  a  student  in  Woodland  College  at  Independence, 
Missouri,  conducted  by  Aylett  Buckner.  In  1875  and  1876  he  was  a  pupil  in  the 
Kansas  City  high  school  and  afterward  took  up  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  and 
under  the  direction  of  Tichenar  &  Warren,  with  whom  he  remained  for  a  year. 
He  later  became  librarian  in  the  law  library  and  while  thus  employed  utilized 
every  available  moment  for  the  reading  of  Kent,  Blackstone  and  other  commen- 
taries. Following  his  high  school  days  he  also  taught  in  what  was  called  the  Wild 
Cat  school  and  while  there  had  the  experience  of  being  locked  out  by  his  pupils. 
It  was  nearing  the  holiday  time  and  he  had  gone  into  town.  The  scholars  made 
him  give  up  some  candy  which  he  had  purchased  for  Christmas  before  they  would 
let  him  into  the  schoolhouse.  Such  was  the  spirit  which  was  often  manifest  in 
those  pioneer  times.  With  the  passing  years  Judge  Thomas  eagerly  improved  his 
opportunities  for  advancement  and  has  made  for  himself  a  prominent  position  as 
a  representative  of  one  of  the  learned  professions.  In  1880  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  He  had  worked  very  hard  to  prepare  for  his  examination  and  went  into 
the  court  room  to  see  Judge  Samuel  W.  Woodson  to  take  his  examination.  When 
the  judge  saw  him  he  said:  "Billy,  I  understand  you  want  a  license  to  practice 
law."  Then  turning  to  Wallace  Laws,  the  clerk,  he  asked,  "Wallace,  what  shall 
we  do  about  it?"  Wallace  asked  young  Thomas  if  he  would  be  willing  to  "set  'em 
up"  if  they  granted  his  license.  Upon  receiving  an  affirmative  reply  the  judge  in- 
structed the  clerk  to  write  out  the  license. 

In  1881  he  entered  upon  general  law  practice  and  formed  a  partnership  with 
C.  W.  Clarke  and  Junis  Jenkins,  an  association  that  was  maintained  for  three  years 
under  the  firm  name  of  Jenkins,  Clarke  &  Thomas.  He  next  became  associated 
with  T.  C.  Brown  and  A.  A.  Buxton  under  the  firm  name  of  Brown,  Thomas  & 
Buxton.  It  was  about  this  time  that  Kansas  City  was  enjoying  a  great  real  estate 
boom  and  Judge  Thomas  became  an  active  factor  in  the  real  estate  business,  in 
which  he  lost  considerable  money,  as  many  others  did.  In  1900  he  was  appointed 
assistant  city  counselor,  filling  the  office  during  Reed's  administration  for  a  period 
of  three  years.  He  later  entered  into  partnership  for  the  practice  of  law  with 
Jackson  L.  Smith  and  L.  E.  Durham,  under  the  firm  style  of  Smith,  Thomas  & 
Durham,  and  they  were  accorded  a  large  and  representative  clientage.  Through- 
out the  years  of  his  practice  Judge  Thomas  manifested  a  keen  analytical  mind, 
evidenced  in  clear  and  convincing  reasoning  and  logical  argument.  In  1908  he 
was  elected   judge   of   the   circuit   court   and   such   was   his   course    upon    the   bench 


260  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  AIISSOURI 

during  his  first  terra  that  he  was  reelected  to  the  office  in  1914,  is  now  presiding 
over  division  No.  4  and  is  again  a  nominee  for  the  office  for  the  third  term,  on 
the  democratic  ticket.  He  has  always  displayed  regard  for  the  dignity  of  the 
office  and  therefore  the  proceedings  are  thoroughly  orderly  on  the  part  of  everyone 
connected  with  the  court.  His  record  on  the  bench  is  in  harmony  with  his  record 
as  a  man  and  as  a  citizen,  distinguished  by  the  utmost  fidelity  to  duty  and  by  a 
masterful  grasp  of  every  problem  presented  for  solution.  Judge  Thomas  is  also 
well  known  as  the  associate  editor  of  the  Bar  Association  Bulletin  and  he  is 
a  valued  member  of  the  Jackson  County,  the  Missouri  State  and  the  American 
Bar  Associations. 

In  1881  Judge  Thomas  was  married  at  Independence.  Missouri,  to  Miss  Lelia 
M.  Barnes  and  they  became  parents  of  two  children:  Fred  W.,  who  was  bom 
in  1882  and  passed  away  in  1903,  just  as  he  was  entering  upon  young  manhood; 
and  Jesse  Lee,  at  home.  Mrs.  Thomas'  ancestors  in  the  paternal  line  were  all  from 
Kentucky,  while  her  mother's  people  were  from  Illinois. 

The  judge's  political  endorsement  is  given  to  the  democratic  party,  for  he 
believes  firmly  In  the  efficacy  of  Its  principles  as  factors  in  good  government.  He 
belongs  to  the  Knife  and  Pork  Club,  to  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks  and  to  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  his  friends,  who  are  many,  prize  him 
for  his  geniality  and  unfeigned  cordiality  as  well  as  for  those  sterling  traits  of 
character  which  find   manifestation  in  his  irreproachable  judicial  record. 


RICHARD   HENRY  KEITH. 


There  is  perhaps  no  record  which  illustrates  more  clearly  the  possibilities  for 
successful  achievement  than  does  the  life  history  of  Richard  Henry  Keith,  who 
starting  in  business  in  Kansas  City  in  1871  with  a  cash  capital  of  but  forty  dollars, 
came  to  rank  with  the  most  prominent  and  prosperous  coal  operators  and  dealers 
and  lumber  merchants  of  the  southwest.  Mr.  Keith  was  born  in  Lexington,  Missouri, 
in  1842,  his  parents  being  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  Keith,  who  removed  from  Virginia 
to  Missouri  in  1839.  The  progenitor  of  the  family  in  America  came  to  the  new 
world  from  Scotland  in  1642.  For  more  than  eighty  years  the  family  has  now  been 
represented  in  Missouri  and  has  made  valuable  contribution  to  the  business  devel- 
opment of  the  state. 

The  education  of  Richard  H.  Keith  was  acquired  in  the  old  Masonic  College  at 
Lexington,  which  he  attended  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  left  school  to 
become  deputy  clerk  in  circuit  and  probate  courts  and  recorder  of  deeds  in  Lafayette 
county.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  enlisted  as  a  private  under  Colonel  John  Bowman 
of  the  state  guards.  He  saw  active  service  in  the  Confederate  army,  participating 
In  the  battles  of  Lexington,  Oak  Hill  and  Pea  Ridge.  Subsequently  he  joined  the 
Landis  Battery  Artillery  at  Memphis  and  he  took  part  in  the  first  and  second 
battles  of  Corinth,  also  in  the  engagements  at  luka,  Hatchie  River,  Grand  Gulf, 
Fort  Gibson,  Champion  Hills,  Black  River  and  In  the  siege  of  Vlcksburg.  Refusing 
a  parole,  he  was  sent  as  a  prisoner  to  Camp  Morton,  Indianapolis,  from  which 
he  made  his  escape.  He  then  went  to  California  and  was  later  connected  with 
trading  interests  in  Leavenworth  and  New  Mexico  for  two  years,  also  conducting 
a  dry  goods  store  In  Leavenworth  for  one  year.  In  1871  he  came  to  Kansas  City 
and  invested  his  entire  capital  of  forty  dollars  in  a  little  coal  yard  on  Bluff  street. 
At  that  time  Kansas  City  handled  about  thirty  carloads  of  coal  daily.  Mr.  Keith 
lived  to  see  four  hundred  carloads  handled  daily.  He  conducted  a  retail  coal  busi- 
ness for  several  years  and  eventually  became  president  of  the  Central  Coal  &  Coke 
Company.  He  opened  the  first  mine  at  Godfrey,  Bourbon  county,  Kansas,  In  1873 
and  during  the  succeeding  two  years  opened  other  mines  at  Rich  Hill,  while  later 
he  became  the  owner  of  extensive  and  valuable  coal  lands  in  the  Bonanza  district 
of  Arkansas.  The  company  which  he  founded  now  owns  coal  lands  that  produce 
four  million  tons  of  coal  annually  and  is  the  largest  enterprise  of  the  kind  In  the 
southwest.  Something  of  the  remarkable  growth  of  the  business  is  indicated  in  the 
fact  that  while  Mr.  Keith  employed  but  two  men  at  the  outset,  the  company  at  the 
time  of  his  death  furnished  employment  to  ten  thousand  men  and  the  business 
amounted  to  seven  million  dollars  annually.  One  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
cars   are   utilized    and   coal    is   mined    In   Kansas,    Missouri,    Oklahoma,    Arkansas    and 


RICHARD  H.  KEITH 


y-^,^m^-< 


(. 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  263 

Wyoming.  Retail  coal  yards  are  maintained  at  Wichita,  Kansas,  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  and  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  product  is  shipped  throughout  the 
south  and  southwest,  the  business  exceeding  in  volume  that  of  any  other  firm  in  the 
western    states. 

The  Keith  &  Perry  Coal  Company  was  reorganized  as  the  Central  Coal  &  Coke 
Company  on  the  1st  of  May,  1893.  Under  the  reorganization  their  lumber  business 
developed  rapidly  and  became  one  of  the  extensive  lumber  concerns  west  o£  the 
Mississippi.  The  property  of  the  Bowie  Lumber  Company  of  Texarkana,  Texas,  was 
purchased,  including  twenty-five  acres  within  the  city  limits  of  Texarkana.  The 
plant  was  reconstructed  along  most  modern  lines  and  equipped  with  the  most  modern 
machinery.  Actual  operations  were  begun  in  January,  1894,  and  the  plant  remained 
In  use  until  the  summer  of  1902,  when  it  was  torn  down  and  a  removal  was  made 
to  Carson,  Louisiana,  as  the  timber  had  been  exhausted  at  the  former  location. 
In  connection  with  its  lumber  business  the  Central  Coal  &  Coke  Company  owns  a 
railroad  fifty-one  miles  in  length.  Another  sawmill  was  erected  at  Keith,  Louisiana, 
on  the  line  of  the  Kansas  City  Southern  Railway.  Mr.  Keith  also  owned  or  con- 
trolled  other   extensive   and    important    lumber    interests. 

Richard  H.  Keith  was  twice  married.  In  1871  he  wedded  Miss  Anna  Boarman 
and  their  children  were  three  in  number,  namely:  Charles  S.,  Dr.  Robert  L.  Keith 
and  Mrs.  Margaret  Keith  Hastings.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Keith  chose  Mary  B. 
Boarman,  by  whom  he  had  five  children:  Mrs.  Anna  K.  Koehler,  R.  H.  Jr.,  Mrs.  Vir- 
ginia  Field,   Mrs.    Emily   Keith    Fairleigh   and    Mrs.    Mary   Taylor   Anderson. 

Mr.  Keith  passed  away  in  1905,  after  more  than  a  third  of  a  century's  connec- 
tion with  the  growth  and  material  progress  of  city  and  state.  Fraternally  he  was 
identified  with  the  Masons,  while  his  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  republi- 
can party.  He  served  as  brigadier  general  of  the  Confederate  Veterans  Association 
of  Kansas  City.  A  Catholic  in  religion,  he  conducted"  his  business  in  accordance 
with  a  high  standard  of  commercial  ethics  and  was  highly  respected  and  admired 
by  his  colleagues  and  associates.  He  had  developed  his  business  interests  to  exten- 
sive proportions  and  his  activities  were  ever  of  a  character  which  contributed 
to  public  progress  and   prosperity  as  well   as  to  individual  success. 


WALTER  H.   MALONEY. 


Walter  H.  Maloney,  who  since  his  admission  to  the  bar  in  1908  has  engaged 
in  practice  in  Kansas  City,  was  born  April  6,  1886,  at  Arcadia,  Wisconsin,  his 
parents  being  Patrick  and  Margaret  (Maloney)  Maloney,  who  though  of  the  same 
name  were  not  related.  Both  were  natives  of  Ireland  but  met  and  were  married 
in  Wisconsin,  having  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world  about  the  time  of  the 
close  of  the  Civil  war.  The  father  always  took  a  most  active  and  helpful  interest  in 
public  affairs,  giving  his  aid  and  Influence  on  the  side  of  progress  and  improve- 
ment. He  was  treasurer  of  the  school  board  of  Arcadia  for  many  years  and  was 
a  man  greatly  admired  for  his  sterling  qualities  and  upright  life,  being  an  Irish 
gentleman  of  the  highest  type. 

Walter  H.  Maloney  obtained  a  common  school  education  in  Arcadia  and  other 
public  schools  of  Wisconsin.  He  afterward  attended  the  University  of  Michigan 
at  Ann  Arbor,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1907,  winning  the  degree  of  LL.  B. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Kansas  City  in  1908  and  became  associated  in  prac- 
tice with  Judge  Buckner,  Samuel  Laurence  and  R.  H.  Field,  having  excellent  train- 
ing In  their  office.  He  was  afterward  connected  with  D.  E.  Bird,  now  judge  ot  the 
circuit  court,  but  at  the  present  time  he  is  practicing  independently.  He  has 
gained  a  large  and  distinctively  representative  clientage,  specializing  along  the  line 
of  corporation  law,  in  which  he  has  been  very  successful.  His  powers  are  rapidly 
developing  and  he  Is  recognized  as  a  close  student  of  his  profession,  constantly 
broadening  his  knowledge  by  reading  and  investigation  as  well  as  through  experi- 
ence. 

At  the  time  ot  the  World  war  Mr.  Maloney  twice  attempted  to  enlist  but  was 
unsuccessful.  He  made  a  third  attempt  and  this  time  was  accepted  in  the  Held 
artillery  at  Camp  Taylor  and  was  In  the  Kelley  Field  when  the  armistice  was  signed. 
He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  in  which  he  is  the  grand  knight,  the  highest 
office  In  the  local  organization.     He  also  belongs  to  the  Kansas  City  Athletic  Club 


264  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

and  is  a  devotee  of  our  national  game  of  baseball.  At  the  present  time  he  is 
captain  of  the  athletic  team  of  the  club,  and  he  won  the  fli'st  municipal  pennant 
from  all  the  baseball  clubs  of  the  city  for  the  years  1918  and  1919,  the  club  still 
holding  the  pennant.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Catholic  church  and  his 
political  belief  that  of  the  democratic  party.  Nature  has  endowed  him  with  keen 
mentality,  and  being  a  young  man  of  laudable  ambition  and  determined  purpose, 
his  friends  have  no  hesitancy  in  predicting  for  him  a  most  successful  future. 


FREDERIC  ALDIN  HALL,  LL.  D. 

Frederic  Aldin  Hall,  chancellor  of  Washington  University,  was  born  Novembec 
20,  1854,  in  Brunswick,  Maine,  a  son  of  James  and  Rebecca  (Dixon)  Hall,  the 
former  a  son  of  Captain  John  Hall,  who  followed  the  sea  tor  many  years,  as  did 
most  of  his  sons.  James  Hall,  however,  engaged  in  business  in  Brunswick  until 
1870,  when  he  removed  to  Vineland,  New  Jersey,  where  he  followed  fruit  raising 
for  a  period  of  years. 

Frederic  A.  Hall  was  a  student  in  Olivet  College  at  Olivet,  Michigan,  and  after- 
ward attended  Drury  College  at  Springfield,  Missouri,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  June,  1878,  with  the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree,  while  in  1881  the  Master  of 
Arts  degree  was  conferred  upon  him.  Further  degrees  received  by  him  include 
the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Literature  in  1901  and  that  of  L.  H.  D.  from  Tufts 
College  in  1912,  LL.  D.  from  Washington  University  in  1913  and  from  the  University 
of  Missouri  in  1917.  Dr.  Hall  was  a  student  in  the  University  of  Goettingen  in 
1891  and  1892  and  at  the  American  school  of  Classical  Studies  in  Athens,  Greece, 
in  1906  and  1907. 

When  but  twelve  years  of  age  Dr.  Hall  left  home  in  order  to  lessen  the  burdens 
of  his  father,  whose  business  reverses  made  it  difficult  for  him  to  longer  support 
his  family.  The  boy's  first  work  was  in  a  brickyard  and  subsequently  he  clerked 
in  a  general  store,  while  later  he  occupied  a  clerical  position  in  a  bank  and  when 
fifteen  years  of  age  accompanied  the  late  Hon.  Hamilton  King,  afterward  United 
States  minister  to  Siam  but  then  a  boy,  to  Illinois,  where  they  both  became  "hired 
hands"on  farms.  Actuated  by  a  most  laudable  desire  to  improve  his  education, 
Dr.  Hall  when  seventeen  years  of  age  entered  the  preparatory  department  of  Olivet 
College  at  Olivet,  Michigan,  there  remaining  for  three  years,  returning  to  the  farm 
each  summer  in  order  to  earn  money  to  meet  the  further  expenses  of  his  education. 
Having  completed  his  preparation  for  college,  he  was  then  enrolled  in  the  freshman 
class  at  Olivet  but  at  the  Christmas  vacation  of  his  freshman  year  was  induced  by  the 
late  Samuel  F.  Drury,  founder  of  Drury  College  in  Missouri,  to  transfer  to  the  latter 
institution,  where  he  might  assist  in  meeting  the  expenses  of  the  college  course  by 
teaching  a  beginner's  class  in  Latin — work  for  which  he  had  shown  some  aptitude. 
He  remained  as  a  member  of  Drury's  first  entering  class  until  his  graduation  in  1878. 
During  his  junior  and  senior  years  in  college  he  taught  daily  one  class  beginning 
Latin  and  one  class  in  Greek  in  the  preparatory  department  of  the  college.  During 
his  senior  year  he  won  the  Missouri  state  oratorical  prize  and  represented  Missouri 
in  the  interstate  oratorical  contest.  He  also  won  the  Edgell  prize  in  oratory  at  Drury 
and  won  philosophical  honors  at  graduation.  Following  the  completion  of  his  course 
he  became  principal  of  Drury  Academy,  an  institution  which  became  widely  known  as 
a  classical  preparatory  school.  Later  he  was  elected  Goodell  professor  of  Greek  at 
Drury  College  and  subsequently  dean  of  the  college.  He  spent  two  periods  of  several 
months  each  studying  methods  and  practices  at  the  best  eastern  schools  and  was  or- 
ganizer and  director  of  summer  schools  at  Drury  for  three  years.  He  then  resigned 
his  positions  at  Drury  to  become  Collier  professor  of  Greek  in  Washington  University 
in  the  summer  of  1901.  Upon  his  return  from  a  year's  study  and  travel  in  Greece 
he  was  made  acting  dean  of  the  college  for  one  year  and  in  1913  was  elected  dean, 
which  position  he  resigned  the  following  March  to  become  acting  chancellor  while 
David  F.  Houston,  the  chancellor,  was  in  Washington,  D.  C,  as  secretary  of  agricul- 
ture. In  January,  1917,  Dr.  Hall  was  elected  chancellor  of  the  university  and  so 
continues. 

On  the  16th  of  June,  1881,  at  Springfield,  Missouri,  Dr.  Hall  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Alice  Linscott,  a  daughter  of  Captain  William  and  Hannah  (Gatch- 
ell)   Linscott.     Captain  Linscott,  a  very  prosperous  sea  captain,  died  at  sea  as  a 


FREDERIC  A.  HALL 


THI  NIW  TORI 
{•OBLICLIJ^URY 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  267 

result  of  exposure  in  quelling  a  mutiny  which  had  arisen  while  he  was  seriously 
ill.  The  crew  at  his  demise  took  the  ship  and  it  was  some  years  before  the  death 
and  its  cause  became  known  to  his  family.  Dr.  Hall  and  his  wife  became  the  parents 
of  three  children:  William  Linscott,  who  married  May  Schwab;  Elinor  Alice,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Wesley  Winans  Hoi-ner;   and  Elizabeth. 

In  religious  faith  Dr.  Hall  is  a  Congregationalist.  He  has  membership  with 
the  St.  Louis,  Commercial,  Round  Table,  University,  Town  and  Gown,  Contemporary, 
St.  Louis  Country  and  Ridgedale  Country  Clubs.  He  has  never  taken  an  active 
part  in  politics  but  considers  it  a  sacred  duty  to  keep  informed  upon  political  ques- 
tions and  to  vote  at  every  election,  whether  national,  state  or  municipal.  He  is 
associated  with  several  learned  societies — all  educational  in  their  purpose,  and  he 
stands  today  as  one  of  the  eminent  educators  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  In  1919 
the  king  of  Greece  conferred  upon  him  the  Cross  of  the  Redeemer  in  recognition  of 
his  interest  in  promoting  modern  Greece  and  his  contributions  to  the  scholarly  litera- 
ture covering  the  ancient  Greek  people. 


SAMUEL  BROWN  McPHEETERS. 

Samuel  Brown  McPheeters,  attorney  at  law  of  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Bedford 
City,  Virginia,  September  4,  1876.  His  father,  Ale.xander  M.  McPheeters,  was  born 
in  Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  in  1828  and  long  engaged  in  business  there  as  a  dealer 
in  stocks  and  bonds.  He  married  Sarah  P.  Leftwich,  -a.  daughter  of  James  Turner 
Leftwich,  a  merchant  and  the  owner  of  extensive  landed  interests  in  Virginia.  The 
Leftwich  family  comes  of  English  and  French  ancestry.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Mc- 
Pheeters occurred  .lanuary  2,  1914,  and  Alexander  M.  McPheeters  passed  away  in 
1903. 

Their  son,  Samuel  Brown  McPheeters,  pursued  his  early  education  in  private 
schools  of  Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  till  he  reached  the  age  of  fifteen  years  and 
afterward  attended  McCabe's  University  School  at  Petersburg,  Virginia.  In  189  6 
he  matriculated  in  the  University  of  Virginia  and  in  addition  to  pursuing  the 
regular  academic  course  he  took  up  the  study  of  law  and  was  graduated  in  1900 
with  the  B.  L.  degree.  He  came  directly  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  October,  1900,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
having  formed  a  partnership  with  Warren  D.  Harris,  who  came  with  him  from  the 
Old  Dominion.  This  association  continued  until  1907,  after  which  Mr.  McPheeters 
practiced  alone  until  he  went  forth  for  active  duty  in  connection  with  the  World 
war.  When  he  entered  the  army  he  arranged  a  temporary  partnership  with  his 
cousin,  Thomas  S.  McPheeters,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work,  but  the 
partnership  was  dissolved  when  he  was  discharged  from  the  army.  He  has  since 
practiced  alone  and  continues  in  the  general  work  of  the  profession,  yet  spe- 
cializes somewhat  in  railroad  law.  He  has  been  counsel  at  St.  Louis  for  the  South- 
ern Railway  Company  and  also  for  the  Seaboard  Air  Line,  and  has  wide,  compre- 
hensive and  accurate   knowledge   of  railroad  law. 

It  was  in  May,  1917.  that  Mr.  McPheeters  entered  the  Reserve  Officers'  Train- 
ing Camp  at  Fort  Riley,.  Kansas,  and  there  on  the  1st  of  August,  1917,  was  com- 
missioned a  second  lieutenant.  After  a  two  weeks'  furlough  he  was  assigned  for 
duty  at  Camp  Punston,  where  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain  of  artillery 
in  November  and  placed  in  command  of  Company  A,  Three  Hundred  and  Fourteenth 
Ammunition  Train  of  the  Eighty-ninth  Division.  In  the  latter  part  of  June,  1918, 
he  sailed  from  New  York  with  his  command,  landing  at  Liverpool.  They  went  at 
once  to  France,  disembarking  at  Cherbourg  and  proceeding  thence  'to  Bordeaux. 
In  September,  1918,  with  Company  A,  Captain  McPheeters  boarded  a  truck  train 
and  proceeded  to  the  St.  Mihiel  sector  of  the  line,  where  he  remained  until  the 
armistice  was  signed.  He  was  constantly  engaged  in  moving  ammunition  up  to 
the  battle  line.  After  the  armistice  was  signed  he  was  at  St.  Baussant  until  Novem- 
ber 28th,  when  he  went  into  Germany  with  the  army  of  occupation,  the  general 
headquarters  being  at  Kylburg,  although  Captain  McPheeters  was  in  command  of 
the  town  of  Moetsch.  In  March,  1919,  he  was  made  officer  in  charge  of  civil 
affairs  for  the  area  assigned  to  the  Eighty-ninth  Division  and  held  that  position 
until  May,  1919,  when  he  returned  to  the  command  of  his  old  company  and  soon 
afterward  left  Germany  and  sailed  from  Brest  for  the  United  States,  receiving  his 
discharge  at  Camp  Upton,  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  May  28,  1919. 


268  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  military  aid  Captain  McPheeters  at 
once  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  his  family.  He  had  been  married  just  before  enter- 
ing the  service,  on  the  27th  of  January,  1917,  to  Miss  Helen  M.  Wood,  daughter 
of  Joel  Wood,  a  merchant  of  St.  Louis.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  daughters, 
Frances  Leftwich  McPheeters,  who  was  born  in  December,  1917,  and  Helen  Wood 
McPheeters,  born  March  4,  1920.  The  family  residence  is  at  5295  Waterman  ave- 
nue, St.   Louis. 

Captain  McPheeters  belongs  to  St.  Louis  Post  No.  4  of  the  American  Legion. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  University  Club,  the  Florissant  Valley  Country  Club, 
the  St.  Louis  Country  Club,  the  Noonday  Club,  the  City  Club  and  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  and  is  keenly  interested  in  affairs  pertaining  to  the  welfare  and  progress 
of  his  city  and  state.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat  and  keeps  thoroughly  informed 
concerning  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  so  that  he  is  ever  able  to  support 
his  position  by  intelligent  argument.  He  has  never  sought  public  office,  but  in 
April.  1909,  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  board  of  freeholders  of  St.  Louis  and 
served  in  that  capacity  until  the  board  went  out  of  existence  in  February.  1911, 
having  made  its  report  the  preceding  month.  In  1913  Governor  Major  appointed 
him  president  of  the  police  commissioners  for  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  in  which  posi- 
tion he  continued  until  August  25.  1916,  rendering  faithful,  intelligent  and  valuable 
service.  In  1909  he  was  made  secretary  of  the  reception  committee  for  the  St. 
Louis  Centennial  and  gave  most  of  his  time  to  service  in  connection  with  that 
occasion.  Captain  McPheeters  was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Westminster  Presbyterian  church  of  St.  Louis,  loyal  at  all  times  to  its 
teachings  and  to  every  cause  which  he  espouses,  manifesting  the  same  stalwart 
qualities  in  days  of  peace  as  marked  his  record  as  an  overseas  soldier  in  the 
World  war. 


H.  C.  LOMAX. 


Prominent  among  the  energetic,  farsighted  and  successful  business  men  of 
Linn  county,  Missouri,  is  H.  C.  Lomax,  the  president  of  the  Lomax  &  Standly  Bank 
of  Laclede,  which  position  he  has  occupied  since  1914,  while  for  a  number  of  years 
previously  he  had  been  the  vice  president  and  cashier  of  the  bank.  His  course 
has  been  marked  by  steady  advancement  since  he  started  out  upon  his  business 
career  and  his  orderly  progression  has  brought  him  into  prominent  connections. 
He  was  born  in  Adams  county.  Illinois,  September  21,  1844,  his  parents  being 
John  and  Anna  (Shank)  Lomax,  the  former  born  in  Sevier  county,  Tennessee,  in 
February,  1812,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Virginia.  June  16,  1819.  Their 
marriage  was  celebrated  in  18  35  and  they  became  the  parents  of  thirteen  children. 
The  father  departed  this  life  in  February,  1877.  while  the  mother,  long  surviving, 
died  in  1902.  In  1835  they  moved  to  Preble  county,  Ohio,  and  the  following  year 
came  to  Missouri.  In  1837,  however,  they  made  their  way  across  the  Mississippi 
into  Adams  county,  Illinois,  where  Mr.  Lomax  continued  to  maintain  the  family 
home  until  185  9.  He  then  returned  to  Missouri,  where  he  remained  until  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  when  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union  and  joined 
the  Eighteenth  Missouri  Infantry,  doing  active  duty  until  the  fall  of  1862,  when 
he  was  captured  by  a  band  of  guerrillas  while  recruiting  a  company  in  Tennessee. 
He  suffered  many  hardships  and  privations  during  the  six  or  eight  months  of  his 
captivity  and  was  then  exchanged  in  June,  1863.  Once  more  he  enlisted,  this  time 
becoming  captain  of  Company  M,  First  Alabama  Volunteer  Union  Cavalry,  with 
which  he  continued  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities  and  during  the  latter  part  of 
that  period  was  provost  marshal  of  northern  Alabama.  He  participated  in  the 
memorable  march  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea  under  Sherman  and  was  in  the  battle 
of  Nashville  and  other  important  engagements,  being  mustered  out  in  1865.  Im- 
mediately afterward  he  resumed  the  cultivation  of  his  farm  near  Laclede,  Missouri, 
and  continued  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1871,  when  he  established 
a  grocery  store  in  Laclede,  continuing  its  conduct  until  his  death. 

H.  C.  Lomax  was  a  youth  of  about  fifteen  years  when  the  family  home  was 
established  in  Linn  county,  where  he  supplemented  his  early  education,  acquired 
in  Illinois,  by  further  study  in  the  public  schools  of  this  state.  He  then  started 
out  in  the  business  world  as  an  employe  in  a  general  merchandise  store,  with  which 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  269 

he  was  connected  until  1870.  Through  the  succeeding  twenty-five  years  he  gave 
his  attention  to  general  farming  and  then  entered  banking  circles,  in  which  he  has 
figured  prominently  since  1895.  In  1897  he  gave  up  his  farming  interests  alto- 
gether in  order  to  concentrate  his  time  and  efforts  upon  the  further  development 
of  the  Lomax  &  Standly  Bank,  of  which  he  was  the  president  during  the  first  two 
years  of  its  existence,  while  in  189  7  he  became  cashier.  Later  he  assumed  the 
vice  presidency  as  well  and  so  continued  until  the  death  of  Dr.  Z.  T.  Standly  on 
the  14th  of  December,  1914,  when  he  succeeded  to  the  presidency.  This  bank 
is  capitalized  for  fifteen  thousand  dollars  and  the  other  officers  are:  E.  B.  Standly, 
vice  president,  and  H.  W.  Lomax,  cashier.  In  addition  to  these  on  the  board  of 
directors  are  K.  V.  Brownlee,  Walter  Brownlee,  Ella  B.  Standly  and  E.  M.  Lomax. 
His  characteristic  spirit  of  progressiveness  is  tempered  by  a  safe  conservatism  that 
prevents  all  unwarranted  risk  in  the  banking  business  and  he  enjoys  to  the  full 
the  confidence  of  the  public,  which  accords  to  the  institution  a  large  patronage. 

On  the  26th  of  September,  1866,  Mr.  Lomax  was  married  to  Miss  Matilda  A. 
Turner  and  they  became  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom  four  survive:  E.  M., 
who  is  president  of  the  Linn  County  Bank  in  Brookfleld;  J.  C,  conducting  an 
abstract  and  loan  business  at  Princeton;  John  T.,  president  of  the  Farmers'  State 
Guarantee  Bank  of  San  Benito,  Texas;  and  H.  W.,  who  is  cashier  of  the  bank  at 
Laclede.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  July  22,  1894,  and  on  the  18th  of 
March,  189  6,  Mr.  Lomax  was  married  to  Mrs.  Betty  L.  (Watson)  Heryford,  widow 
of  Walter  Heryford  of  Hale,   Missouri. 

Mr.  Lomax  has  for  many  decades  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church 
and  has  been  keenly  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  material,  intellectual, 
social,  political  and  moral  welfare  of  his  city.  He  stands  for  all  that  tends  to 
advance  its  progress,  to  upbuild  its  business  connections  or  uphold  its  civic  stand- 
ards and  he  is  recognized  as  a  splendid  representative  of  American  manhood  and 
chivalry. 


JAMES  J.  Mclaughlin. 


James  J.  McLaughlin,  of  St.  Louis,  has  continuously  been  in  government  serv- 
ice since  1911  and  since  1913  has  been  connected  with  the  Customs  House,  having 
charge  at  the  present  time  of  the  bureau  of  investigation  of  the  department  of 
justice.  He  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  October  19,  1889,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  J. 
and  Julia  (Naughton)  McLaughlin.  The  father,  now  deceased,  was  of  Irish  descent. 
He  engaged  successfully  in  the  retail  grocery  business  in  St.  Louis  for  many  years 
under  the  name  of  Thomas  J.  McLaughlin.  He  wedded  Julia  Naughton,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  and  Julia  Naughton,  the  former  a  contractor.  The  marriage  was 
celebrated  in  St.  Louis  in  June,  1887,  and  to  them  were  born  two  sons  and  four 
daughters:  James  J.;  Julia;  Mamie  Veronica,  who  became  the  wife  of  Benjamin 
P.  Overhoof,  who  is  secretary  of  the  Domestic  Electric  Company  of  St.  Louis, 
Missouri;  Corinne,  the  wife  of  Arthur  F.  Krieghauser,  who  is  clerk  for  Swift  & 
Company  in  St.  Louis;  Emmet  T.,  who  has  recently  been  discharged  from  the  army; 
and  Adele. 

James  J.  McLaughlin  was  educated  in  the  St.  Louis  public  schools,  passing 
through  the  grammar  grades  and  afterward  pursuing  a  preparatory  course  and  also 
a  law  course  in  the  St.  Louis  University.  He  was  graduated  in  1914  with  the 
degree  of  LL.  B.  Previous  to  this  time,  however,  he  had  entered  the  government 
service,  having  been  appointed  in  1911  to  the  position  of  deputy  in  the  office  of 
the  United  States  marshal.  After  two  years  spent  in  that  connection  he  entered 
the  Customs  House  as  special  agent  for  the  bureau  of  Investigation  in  the  depart- 
ment of  justice,  and  since  July,  1919,  has  had  charge  of  the  department.  During 
the  period  of  the  World  war  he  did  much  work  for  the  government  in  enforcing 
the  conscription  act  and  the  espionage  act,  also  in  locating  fugitives  from  military 
law.  He  likewise  did  investigating  for  the  war  risk  department  and  other  mis- 
cellaneous activities  which  were  a  feature  in  upholding  the  high  purposes  of  the 
government  in  relation  to  the  war. 

On  the  27th  of  August.  1913,  Mr.  McLaughlin  was  married  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, to  Miss  Angeline  Monti,  a  daughter  of  Martin  and  Ernestine  Monti.  The 
former  passed  away  June  10,  1920.  He  was  a  large  property  owner,  his  holdings 
including   apartment   houses   and   business   establishments,    from    which   he    derived 


270  CENTENxNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

a  very  substantial  annual  income.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McLaughlin  have  been  born 
two  children.  Jane,  four  years  of  age;  and  James  J.  The  parents  are  members 
of  St.  Rose's  Catholic  church  and  Mr.  McLaughlin  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Columbus.  He  is  proving  a  most  capable  official  in  the  position  which  he  occupies 
and  has  done  much  work  in  connection  with  the  enforcement  of  the  prohibition 
law.  He  has  also  displayed  much  activity  in  the  recent  round-up  of  radicals 
and  is  ever  most  faithful  to  the  duties  which  devolve  upon  him  and  which  he 
discharges  without   tear  or  favor. 


CHARLES  PARSONS  SEXTER. 

Charles  Parsons  Senter,  president  of  the  Senter  Commission  Company  of  St.  Louis, 
was  born  at  the  home  of  his  grandmother,  in  Trenton,  Tennessee,  February  14,  1870. 
although  his  parents  had  been  residents  of  St.  Louis  from  1864.  His  father,  William 
Marshall  Senter,  a  native  of  Henderson  county,  Tennessee,  was  born  April  11,  1831, 
his  parents  being  Alvin  Blalock  and  Janet  (McNeil)  Senter,  who  were  natives  of  Cum- 
berland county.  North  Carolina.  In  1857  William  M.  Senter  wedded  Lucy  Jane  Wilkins, 
a  daughter  of  Little  John  and  Lucy  Jane  (Tanner)  Wilkins,  who  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia, while  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Senter,  was  born  in  Gibson  county,  Tennessee,  on  the 
14th  day  of  February,  1832.  In  the  year  1865,  William  M.  Senter  and  his  brother-in- 
law,  William  Thomas  Wilkins,  foreseeing  that  St.  Louis  was  to  l>e  the  gateway  of  the 
great  southwest,  came  to  St.  Louis  and  established  the  firm  of  Senter  &  Company,  engag- 
ing in  the  cotton,  grain,  fur,  wool,  etc.  commission  business,  vi'hich  they  conducted  until 
their  deaths,  which  occurred  respectively  on  the  29th  of  January,  1901,  and  February  3, 
1902.  Mr.  Senter  became  a  leading  figure  in  commercial  and  financial  circles  in  St.  Louis. 
In  1876,  when  the  St.  Louis  Merchants  Exchange  built  and  moved  into  its  then  new 
building,  on  Third  Street  from  Pine  to  Olive,  he  was  its  vice  president.  He  was  especially 
active  in  the  building  up  of  St.  Louis  as  a  cotton  market,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  St.  Louis  Cotton  Exchange,  and  its  original  vice  president ;  the  next  year  he  suc- 
ceeded to  the  presidency,  and  was  re-elected  for  ten  years,  although  not  consecutively. 

One  of  the  main  causes  for  the  advancement  of  St.  Louis  as  a  cotton  market  was 
the  establishment  of  the  St.  Louis  Cotton  Compress  Company,  with  its  modern  ware- 
houses and  high  density  presses,  in  which  St.  Louis  was  the  pioneer.  Mr.  Senter  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  this  company,  and  its  original  vice  president,  and  later  served 
as  its  president  for  a  number  of  years.  One  of  the  bulwarks  of  St.  Louis  control  of  the 
trade  of  the  south  and  southwest  is  its  railways,  and  Mr.  Senter  was  one  of  the  group 
of  loyal  St.  Louisans  who,  when  it  looked  like  the  Iron  Mountain  Railroad  would  be 
lost,  responded  to  the  appeal  of  Thomas  Allen,  its  president,  and  subscribed  the  money 
necessary  to  save  it.  At  that  time  Mr.  Senter  was  elected  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
company,  and  continued  as  such  until  Jay  Gould,  recognizing  the  value  of  the  rail- 
road purchased  it.  Shortly  after  this,  a  group  of  St.  Louisans  projected  and  built 
the  Cotton  Belt  Railroad,  Mr.  Senter  being  one  of  the  most  active,  and  its  original  vice 
president.  He  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Union  Trust  Company,  of  which 
he  was  a  director  until  the  time  of  his  death.  However,  his  chief  efforts  were  in 
developing  the  extensive  commission  business,  which,  upon  his  death,  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  Senter  Commission  Company. 

Charles  P.  Senter  received  his  primary  education  at  the  Stoddard  school,  one  of 
the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis,  and  then  attended  Smith  Academy,  the  preparatory 
department  of  Washington  University,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1888.  He  pursued  his  studies  at  the  University  of  Virginia  for  two  years.  Upon  his 
return  to  St.  Louis,  his  interest  in  Smith  Academy  continued,  and  at  the  organization 
of  the  Alumni  Association  he  was  elected  its  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  has  remained 
such  to  the  present  time.  His  interest  in  the  athletics  of  the  school,  as  well  as  of  the 
Inter-Scholastic  League,  caused  him  to  be  appointed  chairman  of  the  Olympic  Inter- 
Scholastic  Committee,  as  well  as  chairman  of  the  Olympic  Marathon  Committee  at  the 
Olympic  Games  which  were  held  in  connection  with  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition 
in  1904;  and  he  was  grand  marshal  of  the  Olympic  games. 

After  a  business  training  in  one  of  the  banks  and  in  the  real  estate  business,  in  1890 
Mr.  Senter  connected  himself  with  his  father's  business,  and  after  the  death  of  his 
father  and  uncle,  this  business  was  incorporated  as  the  Senter  Commission  Company, 
and  since  1903  he  has  been  its  president.     Like  his  father  he  has  been  honored  by  his 


CHARLES  P.  SENTER 


Vol.  Ill— 18 


THl  hif\  TvM; 


A3.>    ■•  .      ■     .1, 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  273 

associates  in  the  cotton  business,  and  has  served  four  terms  as  president  of  the  St. 
Louis  Cotton  Exchange.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Merchants  Exchange,  and  of  the 
St.  Louis  Raw  Fur  and  Wool  Association,  as  well  as  of  the  St.  Louis  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. He  is  president  of  the  Allen  Store  Company  of  Maiden,  Missouri,  and  a  director 
of  the  St.  Louis  Cotton  Compress  Company. 

Mr.  Senter  has  long  been  an  active  member  of  the  Third  Baptist  Church,  of  St. 
Louis,  of  which  .he  is  one  of  the  trustees,  and  has  been  honored  by  being  called  upon 
to  serve  as  president,  both  of  the  St.  Louis  Baptist  Mission  Board  and  of  the  State 
Mission  Board.  He  is  vice  president  of  the  Missouri  Baptist  Sanitarium,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  executive  committee  of  the  hospital  Saturday  and  Sunday  Association.  He 
is  a  democrat  in  politics,  and  has  been  active  in  the  party's  councils  although  never  a 
candidate  for  office. 

Although  he  is  a  bachelor  he  maintains  a  home  for  himself,  at  No.  1  Beverly  Place, 
where  he  has  surrounded  himself  with  the  articles  of  culture  and  refinement.  •  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Noonday,  St.  Louis,  Racquet,  Franklin  Club,  and  Sunset  Hill  Country 
Club.  The  Missouri  Historical  Society  all  of  St.  Louis  and  the  Grolier  Club  of  New 
York.  In  1908  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  St.  Louis 
Centennial.  Mr.  Senter  was  active  in  all  the  work  connected  with  the  World  war,  the 
great  mass  meeting  at  the  Coliseum  as  well  as  the  breakfast  at  the  Missouri  Athletic 
Association  tendered  to  the  French  Commission  upon  their  visit  to  St.  Louis,  having 
been  under  his  supervision. 


JOHN  WOODHEAD. 


John  Woodhead;  a  prominent  figure  in  insurance  circles  in  Kansas  City,  ex- 
celling on  system  and  method,  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  May  24,  1852. 
His  father,  William  Woodhead,  -was  a  native  of  England  and  spent  his  last  days  in 
Houston,  Texas.  He  served  twenty-five  years  as  street  commissioner  of  the  town 
of  Bui-y,  near  Manchester,  England.  His  religious  belief  was  that  of  the  Baptist 
church  and  his  faith  guided  him  in  all  the  relations  of  life.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Sykes,  who  has  passed  away. 

John  Woodhead,  the  eldest  of  their  family  of  ten  children,  pursued  his  studies 
in  the  schools  of  England  and  in  a  night  school  of  that  country.  Coming  to  the 
new  world  when  a  young  man  of  about  twenty-seven  years,  he  arrived  at  Galves- 
ton, Texas,  on  the  10th  of  September,  1879,  and  afterward  went  to  Houston.  In 
1882  he  was  manager  of  a  quarry  in  Polk  county,  and  got  out  the  first  rock  that 
was  put  in  the  jetty  at  Galveston.  While  a  resident  of  Houston  he  was  one  of 
the  leading  and  influential  members  of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  that  city,  served 
as  deacon  and  was  chairman  of  its  finance  committee.  He  thus  contributed  to 
the  moral  progress  as  well  as  to  the  business  development  of  the  locality. 

The  10th  of  March,  1912,  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Woodhead  in  Kansas 
City,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  has  figured  prominently  in  insurance 
circles  and  is  the  secretary  of  the  Employers'  Indemnity  Corporation,  which  is  the 
largest  casualty  company  in  the  west  or  south  and  specializes  in  reinsurance  of 
casualty  lines  from  other  casualty  companies.  In  this  connection  he  has  con- 
tributed to  the  upbuilding  of  a  most  extensive  business — one  that  figures  promi- 
nently in  insurance  circles  throughout  the  west. 

On  the  7th  of  July,  1872,  Mr.  Woodhead  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Lomax, 
who  was  born  in  Lancashire,  England,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  five  are  living.  Ben  Sykes  Woodhead  is  the  president  of  the 
Beaumont  Lumber  Company  and  for  two  years  was  president  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  of  Beaumont,  Texas.  He  married  Leona  Tryon,  of  the  family  of  Com- 
modore Tryon,  whose  grandfather  was  the  first  Baptist  minister  of  Texas.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ben  S.  Woodhead  have  been  born  three  children:  Ben  Sykes,  John  Tryon 
and  Alice.  Harold  Woodhead,  the  second  of  the  family,  is  the  vice  president  of 
the  Employers'  Indemnity  Corporation.  He  married  Lilla  Winnie,  of  Houston, 
Texas,  and  they  have  three  children:  Marjorie,  Harold  and  Frank.  Emily  is  the 
wife  of  Edward  G.  Trimble,  president  of  the  Employers'  Indemnity  Corporation 
and  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  L.  Lowe, 
of  Kansas  City.  Alice  Lomax  is  acting  as  general  ofiice  manager  for  the  Employ- 
ers' Indemnity  Corporation. 

Mr.  Woodhead  is  well  known  in   the  leading  club  circles   of  Kansas   City,   be- 


274  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

longing  to  the  Mid-Day  Club,  the  Meadow  Lake  Country  Club,  City  Club  and  others. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  at  Houston,  Texas.  He  served 
as  chairman  of  the  smoke  commission  under  the  Edwards  administration  in  Kansas 
City.  Of  the  Baptist  church  he  is  a  devoted  member  and  is  most  active  and  earnest 
in  religious  work,  being  identified  with  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Kansas  City, 
which  has  a  membership  of  twenty-five  hundred.  He  has  been  a  close  student  of 
the  Bible  and  of  sacred  literature  and  he  puts  forth  every  possible  effort  to  promote 
the  growth  of  the  church  and  extend  its  influence. 

As  one  delves  into  the  history  of  the  Woodhead  family,  it  is  learned  that  his 
ancestors  in  remote  generations,  prior  to  the  time  of  Cromwell,  were  shepherds  in 
England  and  grazed  their  sheep  in  a  country  that  became  very  heavily  wooded 
They  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  their  flocks  up  to  the  head  of  these  woods  and 
hence  the  family  name — Woodhead — was  derived.  Through  several  generations 
the  faniHy  remained  in  England  and  at  length  John  Woodhead  of  this  review 
determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new  world  and  test  the  reports  which  he  had 
heard  concerning  the  opportunities  here  accorded.  That  he  made  no  mistake  in 
so  doing  is  indicated  in  the  success  and  position  he  has  won.  He  has  never  become 
a  capitalist  but  has  gained  a  position  among  the  men  of  affluence  in  his  community, 
his  interests  being  rather  in  the  rearing  of  his  children  than  the  attainment  of 
wealth.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  outspoken  in  his  views,  fearless,  and 
yet  just  to  all  and  without  prejudice.  He  has  been  characterized  as  "one  of  the 
warmest-hearted  men,  genial,  unselfish  and  considerate  to  a  fault."  These  qualities 
have  made  for  many  and  strong  friendships  and  wherever  he  is  known  he  is  held 
in   the  highest   esteem. 


ROZIER  G.  MEIGS. 


Rozier  G.  Meigs,  of  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  October  .5,  1869, 
and  is  a  direct  descendant  of  Vincent  Meigs,  who  came  to  America  from  Wey- 
mouth, England,  in  1634,  accompanied  by  his  sons,  Vincent,  John  and  Mark. 
Rozier  G.  Meigs  is  a  representative  of  this  family  in  the  ninth  generation  from 
the  American  ancestor,  and  in  connection  with  the  ancestral  history  appear  the 
names  of  some  very  notable  characters  who  were  active  in  shaping  the  early 
history  and  development  of  the  new  world.  John  Meigs  assisted  in  the  escape  of 
the  regicides.  Judges  Whalley  and  Goffe,  when  early  in  May,  1661,  they  fled  from 
arrest  by  the  commissioners  under  order  of  King  Charles  II  of  England  and  bore 
letters  to  Governor  Endicott  at  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  This  John  Meigs  was 
of  the  second  generation  in  America.  Colonel  Return  Jonathan  Meigs,  of  the 
sixth  generation,  living  at  Middletown.  Connecticut,  went  with  Arnold  on  the  ill- 
fated  expedition  to  Quebec  and  was  captured  in  the  assault  on  that  city  but  was 
soon  afterward  exchanged,  returning  to  Connecticut.  He  took  part  in  the  capture 
of  Stony  Point  and  later  was  with  a  successful  expedition  to  Sag  Harbor,  where 
the  troops  captured  British  boats  with  supplies.  Becau.se  of  his  leadership  in  this 
brilliant  exploit  Colonel  Meigs  was  presented  by  congress  with  a  handsome  gold- 
mounted  sword. 

The  Meigs  family  were  all  very  loyal  to  the  cause  of  American  independence 
and  played  an  important  part  in  winning  freedom  from  British  tyranny.  Henry 
Meigs,  of  the  eighth  generation,  a  son  of  Judge  Henry  Meigs  of  New  York,  was 
the  president  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  in  1877  and  1878.  Major  General 
Montgomery  Cunningham  Meigs,  also  a  representative  of  the  family  in  the  eighth 
generation,  was  a  distinguished  engineer  and  scientist  who  became  a  quartermaster 
general  of  the  United  States  army,  being  called  to  that  oflice  by  President  Lincoln 
in  1861.  The  "Cabin  John"  bridge  near  Washington,  D.  C,  one  of  the  notable 
bridge  structures  in  the  vicinity  of  the  national  capital,  was  erected  by  General 
Meigs  when  he  was  captain  and  chief  of  engineers  of  the  United  States  army. 
This  is  the  largest  single  span  of  masonry  in  the  world,  the  length  of  the  span 
being  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  while  the  length  of  the  entire  bridge  is  four 
hundred  and   fifty  feet  and  the  height  one  hundred  and  five  feet. 

Captain  Charles  R.  Meigs,  the  father  of  Rozier  G.  Meigs  and  a  representative 
of  the  family  in  the  ninth  generation,  was  for  some  time  a  resident  of  Ottawa, 
Kansas.  He  read  law  with  Senator  Benjamin  F.  Wade  and  Hon.  Joshua  R.  Giddings 
at   Jefferson,   Ohio,   and   was  there  admitted   to  the  bar  an   the   21st  of   April.    1854. 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  275 

He  afterward  went  to  Oregon  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  that  state  in  1855. 
He  was  commissioned  a  captain  of  the  Oregon  militia  on  the  23d  of  July,  1863,  and 
served  on  the  staff  of  Brigadier  General  O.  Humason.  He  was  mayor  of  The 
Dalles,  an  important  city  on  the  Columbia  river  in  Oregon.  He  also  served  as  a 
member  of  the  constitutional  convention  when  Oregon  was  admitted  to  the  Union. 
His  military  service  led  to  participation  in  many  battles  with  the  Indians  in  Oregon 
and  Washington  Territory  while  he  was  a  member  of  the  army  and  in  various 
ways  he  contributed  to  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  the  northwest.  Later  he 
returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived  for  a  time  and  then  in  1870  removed  to  Ottawa, 
Kansas,  where  he  was  elected  city  attorney  for  three  terms,  while  in  1881  he  was 
chosen  for  the  office  of  prosecuting  attorney  of  Franklin  county,  Kansas,  and  was 
filling  that  position  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  In  1883.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Frances  A.  Bishop,  passed  away  in  June,  1878. 

Rozier  G.  Meigs  pursued  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Ottawa, 
Kansas,  and  afterward  attended  the  Jefferson  school  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  while 
still  later  he  became  a  student  in  the  law  department  of  Washington  University 
and  was  there  graduated  in  1893.  He  has  been  notably  successful  in  criminal  law 
and  is  one  of  the  able  members  of  the  St.  Louis  bar.  He  has  filled  the  ofiice  of 
assistant  city  attorney  under  Mayor  Walbridge  of  St.  Louis  but  has  never  sought 
ofiice  outside  the  strict  path  of  his  profession. 

In  September,  1896,  in  Kansas  City,  Mr.  Meigs  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Blanch  V.  Ackerman,  whose  father  was  connected  with  the  Globe  Democrat  of 
St.  Louis  many  years  ago  and  is  now  editor  and  owner  of  the  Columbia  River  Sun, 
published  at  Morro,   Oregon. 

The  military  service  of  Rozier  G.  Meigs  covered  six  years'  connection  with  the 
Rainwater  Rifles,  known  as  Company  E  of  the  First  Regiment.  His  political  en- 
dorsement is  always  given  to  the  republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Junior 
Order  of  United  American  Mechanics  and  is  a  prominent  representative  of  the 
Humane  Society  of  St.  Louis,  of  which  he  was  president  for  three  years  and  of  which 
he  is  now  attorney.  In  this  connection  notable  work  has  been  done  and  in  this 
and  in  professional  ways  he  is  making  his  life  of  great  service  and  benefit  to  his 
fellowmen.  In  all  of  the  ten  generations  of  the  Meigs  family  that  have  been  rep- 
resented in  America  there  have  been  men  of  marked  distinction,  many  of  whom 
have  won  national  reputation.  Few  families  in  this  country  can  boast  of  such  an 
assemblage  of  men  in  all  walks  of  public  life  and  national  affairs.  There  have 
been  those  who  have  made  records  as  educators,  lawyers,  ministers  and  in  con- 
nection with  military  life  and  commercial  activity.  Rozier  G.  Meigs  displays  many 
of  the  sterling  traits  which  have  ever  characterized  the  family  and  St.  Louis  counts 
him  one  of  her  valued  citizens. 


MARVIN  L.  OREAR. 


Marvin  L.  Orear,  vice  president  of  the  Metropolitan  Bank  of  Kansas  City  and 
for  a  number  of  years  a  prominent  and  forceful  factor  in  banking  circles,  was 
born  in  Orearville,  Saline  county,  September  18,  1881,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  Everett 
and  Laura  (Pemberton)  Orear,  the  former  a  native  of  Mount  Sterling,  Kentucky, 
while  the  latter  was  born  in  Missouri.  The  father  came  to  this  state  in  1860  and 
settled  in  Saline  county,  where  he  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  but  after- 
ward established  a  store  in  Orearville.  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Slater,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  continued  to  devote  his  time  to  mercantile  pursuits,  being  active 
in  that  line  for  more  than  thirty  years.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served  with  the 
Confederate  army,  was  captured  and  for  a  long  period  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war 
in  St.  Louis. 

Marvin  L.  Orear  attended  the  public  schools  of  Slater,  Missouri,  and  afterward 
the  State  University  at  Columbia.  After  coming  to  Kansas  City  he  pursued  a 
three  years'  course  in  the  night  school  of  the  Kansas  City  School  of  Law  and  was 
graduated  in  1907  with  the  LL.  B.  degree,  his  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  Juris- 
prudence proving  of  great  benefit  to  him  in  his  active  biisiness  career.  After  leav- 
ing the  State  University  he  took  up  work  for  the  Central  Female  College  at 
Lexington,  Missouri,  and  traveled  for  that  institution  for  a  few  months.  He 
-then    went    to    St.    Louis,    Missouri,    where    he    was    identified    with    the    Interna- 


276  CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

tional  Correspondence  Schools  and  then  came  to  Kansas  City,  where  he 
entered  the  employ  of  John  C.  Humes  &  Company,  crockery  dealers,  with  whom 
he  continued  for  a  brief  period.  He  afterward  accepted  a  position  with  Fairbanks, 
Morse  &  Company,  which  firm  he  represented  for  thirteen  years  as  credit  man,' 
his  capability  and  fidelity  being  indicated  by  his  long  continuance  in  their  service. 
He  left  that  company  In  1915,  at  which  time  he  assumed  the  secretaryship  of  the 
Kansas  City  Credit  Men's  Association,  which  was  made  up  of  the  leading  whole- 
sale and  jobbing  houses  and  banks  of  Kansas  City.  When  he  took  charge  this 
association  had  a  membership  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty.  During  the  two 
and  one-half  years  of  his  connection  the  membership  was  increased  to  nearly  six 
hundred.  He  also  was  manager  of  the  adjustment  bureau  of  the  association,  a 
department  which  handled  involved  and  insolvent  estates  for  its  members.  In 
1917  Mr.  Orear  became  the  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Peoples  Trust  Company, 
a  newly  organized  banking  institution  of  Kansas  City,  with  which  he  was  identi- 
fied until  early  in  1919,  when  he  established  the  Metropolitan  Bank  with  a  capital 
and  surplus  of  two  hundred  and  eight-seven  thousand,  five  hundred  dollars,  and 
became  the  vice  president,  which  position  he  still  fills.  His  broad  business  and 
banking  experience  well  qualify  him  for  the  onerous  duties  which  he  has  assumed. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1908,  Mr.  Orear  was  married  in  Kansas  City  to  Miss 
Myrtle  Jeanette  Peabody,  a  daughter  of  Charles  A.  and  Caroline  Peabody,  Natives  of 
New  Hampshire.  Her  father  was  for  some  time  affiliated  with  the  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
road with  offices  at  Topeka,  Kansas,  and  for  many  years  was  assistant  treasurer  of 
the  Kansas  City  Southern  Railway.  He  was  also  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in 
newspaper  business  at  Jefferson  City,  Missouri.  The  mother's  maiden  name  was 
Hutchinson,  and  she  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  New  England  families 
of  Milford,  New  Hampshire,  a  family  that  became  very  prominent  throughout  that 
section  of  the  country  during  the  Civil  war  through  the  entertainments  and  con- 
certs they  gave.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orear  have  a  son,  Charles  Marvin,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred January  18,  1913.     He  is  now  in  school. 

Mr.  Orear  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  North,  and  Mr. 
Orear  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party,  yet  maintains  a  some- 
what independent  course  in  politics.  He  takes  great  delight  in  a  game  of  golf 
and  belongs  to  the  Mission  Hill  Golf  Club.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knife  & 
Fork  Club,  the  Midday  Club  and  the  Phi  Alpha  Delta  law  fraternity.  He  is  con- 
nected with  the  Kansas  City  Credit  Men's  Association  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  interested  in  all  the  projects  and  plans  of  that  organization 
for  the  benefit  and  upbuilding  of  the  city.  His  entire  career  has  been  actuated  by 
a  most  progressive  spirit  and  his  determination  and  energy  enable  him  to  carry 
forward  to  successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 


JOHN  W.  FRISTOE. 


John  W.  Fristoe,  president  of  the  T.  J.  Moss  Tie  Company  and  thus  active  in 
control  of  one  of  the  largest  productive  industries  of  St.  Louis  and  one  of  the 
largest  concerns  of  the  kind  in  the  western  country,  was  born  near  Salisbury,  Mis- 
souri, November  13,  1858,  his  parents  being  Thomas  P.  and  Margaret  (Wallace) 
Fristoe,  both  now  deceased.  Both  were  natives  of  Missouri  and  descended  from 
pioneer  families  of  this  state  of  English,  Scotch  and  Welsh  lineage.  In  the  paternal 
line  they  come  of  Welsh  ancestry,  while  the  mother's  people  were  from  Scotland. 
Thomas  P.  Fristoe  was  a  farmer,  devoting  his  entire  life, to  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  passed  away  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years,  while  his  wife  died  on  the 
15th  of  January,  1919,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years.  She  was  the 
mother  of  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  all  of  whom  are  living:  Nancy,  now  the 
widow  of  A.  F.  Willis,  of  Washington,  D.  C;  John  W.;  James  R.,  of  St.  Louis;  and 
Thomas  P.,  living  at  Cape  Girardeau,  Missouri. 

John  W.  Fristoe  was  educated  in  private  schools  and  under  private  tutors 
and  Ui.'r  early  life  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years  was  spent  upon  his  father's  farm.  He 
then  left  home  and  started  out  on  his  own  account,  being  first  employed  as  a  clerk 
in  a  country  store.  He  afterward  followed  merchandising  at  Higbee,  Missouri, 
for  a  number  of  years  and  in  1880  he  became  interested  in  the  tie  and  timber 
business  in  connection  with  the  late  T.  J.  Moss.  This  company  is  now  operating 
in   Missouri,   Arkansas,   Kentucky,   Tennessee,   Mississippi   and   Alabama   and   in   its 


Murillo  Portrait 


JOHN  W.  FRISTOE 


THI  NIW  TORK 
PUBLIC  LlgKARY 


A3H   .*      I.  rtiwJ     ANM 


CENTENNIAL  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI  279 

line  has  become  one  of  the  largest  concerns  in  the  western  country.  They  also 
conduct  a  timber  preservation  plant  at  Mount  Vernon,  Illinois,  and  they  employ 
more  than  one  thousand  people  in   factory  and   forest. 

At  St.  Louis,  on  the  20th  of  October.  1897,  Mr.  Fristoe  was  married  to 
Mrs.  Frances  G.  Moss,  the  widow  of  T.  J.  Moss  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  E.  and 
Mary  (Kring)  Givens,  of  Fayette,  Missouri,  both  representatives  of  prominent 
families  there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fristoe  have  one  child,  Frances,  born  in  St.  Louis. 
January  28,   1904.     The  family  residence  is  at  No.  5257  Washington  avenue. 

In  politics  Mr.  Fristoe  is  a  democrat  where  national  issues  and  questions 
are  Involved  but  locally  maintains  an  independent  course.  He  served  as  police 
commissioner  from  1905  until  1909  under  Governor  Folk.  He  is  a  member  of 
Occidental  Lodge,  No.  163,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  taken  the  various  degrees  of 
both  the  York  and  Scottish  Rites  in  Masonry.  He  has  membership  in  the  Noon- 
day, St.  Louis  and  Ridgedale  Country  Clubs  and  he  is  a  valued  member  of  St.  John's 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  South,  having  for  ten  years  served  as  chairman  of  its 
official  board.  He  is  likewise  an  ex-president  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, his  term  having  expired  in  February,  1919.  He  did  most  splendid  work 
in  this  connection  during  the  period  of  the  war  and  he  has  been  largely  instru- 
mental in  promoting  the  construction  of  two  new  and  thoroughly  modern  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  buildings  which  are  now  nearing  completion,  displaying  splendid  executive 
and  administrative  ability  in  the  promotion  of  that  work.  He  belongs  to  that 
class  of  splendid  American  business  men  who  are  not  only  capable  of  controlling 
mammoth  interests  but  also  find  time  to  cooperate  in  those  interests  which  are 
looking  to  the  upbuilding  and  welfare  of  the  country  and  the  advancement  of 
individual  standards  and  ideals. 


JOHN   BURTON   KENNARD. 

John  Burton  Kennard  is  the  president  of  the  J.  Kennard  &  Sons  Carpet  Com- 
pany, importers  and  jobbers  of  carpets,  rugs,  curtains  and  lace  draperies,  in  which 
connection  a  business  of  most  substantial  proportions  has  been  developed.  His 
identification  with  this  house  dates  from  his  boyhood  days,  at  which  time  he  entered 
into  active  connection  with  the  business  that  had  been  established  by  his  grand- 
father in  1857.  Throughout  the  intervening  period  the  name  has  been  well  known 
in  St.  Louis  and  has  stood  as  a  synonym  for  all  that  is  most  progressive  and  reliable 
in  commercial  circles. 

John  Burton  Kennard  is  a  native  son  of  the  city  in  which  he  now  resides,  his 
birth  having  here  occurred  April  5,  1868,  his  parents  being  Samuel  M.  and  Annie 
R.  (Maude)  Kennard.  At  the  usual  age  he  began  his  education,  becoming  a  pupil 
in  the  Stoddard  school  of  St.  Louis,  while  later  he  entered  Smith  Academy,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  June,  1886.  Previous  to  1857  John  Kennard,  his  grand- 
father, had  been  a  merchant  in  the  same  line  of  business  in  Lexington,  Kentucky. 
Removing  to  St.  Louis,  he  opened  a  store  for  the  sale  of  carpets,  rugs  and  kindred 
lines  and  as  the  business  was  developed  the  firm  name  of  J.  Kennard  &  Sons 
Company  was  assumed.  John  B.  Kennard  applied  himself  to  the  mastery  of  the 
business,  acquainting  himself  with  every  phase  of  the  trade,  and  his  developing 
powers  won  him  promoti